Always by your side
by VanillaStratos
Summary: The arrival of two new dragons, light and darkness... The return of Chase's heylin accomplice 1500 years ago... His accomplice, Draco, requires a host because of his disembodied form. What happens when Draco decides that he wants one of the Xiaolin monks as his host? OCXOC and MAJOR RAIKIM Chapters 1-5 are mostly introduction. The plot comes in from episode 6 onwards:
1. Chapter 1 Goodbye

_**HEY**_** ALL:D****  
****After a lot of thinking, I've finally decided to write a fanfic:D This is my first fanfic, so no flames please. But constructive criticism is more than welcome:)**_  
_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin showdown**

_'This can't be happening... This isn't happening... You can't do this to me papa...'_

The thumping of her footsteps echoed through the hallways. Her panting growing louder, drawing in more air with each breath.

Her sprinting came to a halt in front of a door with the number 384 on it. She burst through the doors, and froze. There laid her father, Toshiro Tohomiko. Even with an oxygen mask over his face, his breaths were barely more than ragged gasps. As she stared in shock, her friends, Raimundo, Clay and Omi caught up to her. All three were tired and out of breath.

After mustering all her courage, she finally got the guts to take a step forward. As she got to his bedside, she took his rough and large hand in small and petite ones. "Papa..?"

Hearing his daughter's voice, Toshiro slowly turned his head towards its source. Raising his trembling hand, he placed it on her face and whispered with a weak and shakey voice, "K-Kim-i...k-ko..."

Kimiko's eyes brimmed with tears. Despite that, she held them back, willing them not to fall. She held onto the hand that cupped her cheek. "Papa, its me. I'm here."

Toshiro was too weak to reply, so he settled for a weak smile. Unable to hold back the tears, Kimiko bit her trembling lower lip and allowed the tears to cascade down her cheeks. This was probably the last time she would ever see him breathing and living, she knew that, but she just couldn't believe it...

Her three friends stood behind her. Raimundo couldn't stand watching Kimiko cry, but there was nothing he could do in this situation that would make a difference. He could go over to assure her that everything would be ok, but that wouldn't change the fact that her father was dying, neither would it change the fact that she was upset that he was nearing death. Unable to watch any further, the Shoku warrior turned around, facing his back to the dying man, and his crying daughter. He gritted his teeth, and clenched his fists, feeling useless.

Clay on the other hand, had his bangs covering his eyes. He slowly took his cowboy hat off, as a form of respect, and stared at the floor.

Omi on the the other hand, took a step forward, and opened his mouth to say something. However, he was stopped by Clay, who placed a hand infront of the smaller monk, blocking his way. Omi looked up at the cowboy in confusion, but understood, when he saw Clay slowly shake his head.

Fatigue took over, and Toshiro slowly started to close his eyes forever. This, Kimiko noticed when the steady beeping of the machine turned into a long and continuous beep. "Papa? Papa! Papa stay awake! Please, you can't do this to me!" Kimiko's soft whispers turned into loud pleas, when she noticed that his eyes had fully closed.

Grabbing her father by the shoulders, she tried shaking him awake, all while begging him not to pass on to the next world.  
"Papa! No, you can't do this! I beg you, don't do this! Don't leave me... I can't go on without you... I don't to be alone... Papa..." she wailed. Seeing that nothing was working, she gave up, hugging her father, and sobbing onto his corpse.

Just then, a doctor and two nurses came rushing into the ward. Kimiko immediately got up from her position, and took a few steps backwards, to allow them to check for a heartbeat, something, anything that indicated that Toshiro was still living.

When the doctor turned around to address the group, Kimiko ran forward, stood on her toes, and grabbed him by the collar. " My papa's ok isn't he? The machine was malfunctioning right? He's not dead is he!" questioned the very agitated girl.

"I'm very sorry Miss Tohomiko. We have done our best but-"

"What do you mean you have done your best! You haven't done anything! He's not dead yet, do something!" Kimiko shouted, tugging wildly on his shirt.

Holding onto her hands, the doctor removed them from his collar, took a step backwards, straightened up, then apologised once more. He then proceeded to tell the nurses to move Toshiro's corpse into another room, to preserve his body till it was time to cremate it.

Kimiko stood there, watching them as they wheeled her father's lifeless body out of the ward, letting reality sink in.

"Miss Tohomiko," a nurse standing by the door called. Kimiko turned around, to see the nurse holding out an envelope to her. "Your father told me to pass this to you, if you ever came." she said. Kimiko's eyes widened. Her father had left her a letter... She slowly reached out and accepted the envelope. Just as she was about to open the envelope, the nurse spoke. "He really missed you." she said in a voice just above a whisper, before turning her head towards a table on the other side of the bed. Kimiko followed her line of vision, and saw a picture frame sitting on the table, with a photo of her and her father in it.

Once again, her eyes flooded with tears, but this time, she let them flow freely down her face. Her legs felt weak, and gave way, letting her fall into a kneeling position. Her hands were on the ground in front of her, as she sobbed.

After seeing her crash to the ground like that, Raimundo immediately ran over to her and crouched down to her level. Watching her cry like this really broke his heart, and being unable to do anything only made it worse. Unknowingly, his arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her into a hug. She buried her head into his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears. Her hands found their way to his shirt, and clung tightly to it.

The next few minutes felt like eternity. Apart from Kimiko's crying, those few minutes were spent in depressing silence. Raimundo then felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Clay holding up the golden tiger claws. "C'mon... We need to get back b'fore master fung finds out." Clay said, raising the claws. He then proceeded to open a purple portal.

Separating from their hug, Raimundo led her to the portal. However, before she stepped in, she stopped in her tracks. Walking over to the table on the other side of the bed, she slowly picked up the photo frame, before stepping into the portal. She was followed by Raimundo. Clay signalled for Omi to enter, before jumping in himself.

When they stepped out from the other side of the portal, they quickly walked through the hallway, wanting to sneak back into their rooms before anyone notices that they were gone. (About a year ago, master fung had finally given them rooms of their own, with firm walls, and a door.) However, they ran into a little green dragon, who happened to have been looking for them.

"Hi... Dojo. Great weather huh?" Raimundo greeted, trying to sound casual, only to make himself look more suspicious.

"Where have the four of you been?" the dragon questioned, eyeing the four of them. The three boys were stammering, looking for an excuse to cover up for sneaking out in the middle of the night. Sensing that he wasn't going to get answer, the dragon cut in. " Oh nevermind. We have more important things to worry about. A new shen gong wu has just revealed itself! It's the-"

"Cube of Draco." master fung interupted, with a very serious look on his face.

"You know, that name sounds oddly familiar..." Dojo said, tapping his chin.

Holding out a scroll, master fung began to explain. "1500 years ago, after Chase Young had turned to the heylin side, he had an accomplice named Draco. He, together with Chase, had his goals set on world domination. They almost succeeded, until Dashi managed to seal Draco away in this shen gong wu."

"I remember that time! Dashi had to invent a sealing spell just to seal Draco away. We need to get that wu right away!" Dojo said, while morphing into his 50 foot form.

"Dojo is right. We must not let Chase get his hands on the Cube of Draco." master fung added.

Omi hopped onto Dojo with enthusiasm, followed by Clay. However, as Kimiko was about to climb on, she was stopped by Raimundo.

"Kim, maybe you should sit this one out." Raimundo said, his voice filled with worry.

"No, im going. You boys need all the help you can get." was her reply, but honestly, Kimiko wasn't in the mood for another shen gong wu hunt. However, what was her mood compared to saving the world? She couldn't risk letting Draco escape just because she didn't feel like going. With that, the two monks climbed onboard, and Dojo took off into the night sky.

"Next stop the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland." announced Dojo, as he started his descend.

As the monks were climbing off Dojo, Kimiko saw something shinning from the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw it, the Cube of Draco. Without warning, she sprinted off in the direction of the shen gong wu. She reached out, and as her fingers came into contact with the cube, it started to glow. Looking up, she saw that Chase had grabbed the wu at the same time as her.

"Kimiko, i challenge you to a xiaolin showdown. The game is a race. First to grab the cube wins. Your Star Hanabi against my Mantis Flip Coin." Chase challenged.

"Let's go! Xiaolin showdown!"

The scenery changed. Rocks levitated, becoming stepping stones, leading all the way to the Cube of draco, that was floating above one of the levitating rocks.

The two challengers reappeared at the edge of the cliff, and since the cube was situated somewhere near the bottom of the cliff, their main objective now was to race to the bottom of the cliff.

Looking down, Kimiko knew that there was no way she could win Chase in a race. He was more than 1500 years older than her, and had a lot more experience in martial arts. The only way she was going to win, is if she were to jump off the cliff. That thought scared her. It was a sheer drop of around 700 feet from a comparatively flat meadow down to the Atlantic. Her chances of surviving such a fall was practically close to none. Then, a though hit her...

_'What would it matter? I'm just a girl without a family... No one is going to be here to miss me when i die anyway... Papa... Mama... I'm coming...'_

"Gong yi tanpai!"

Gathering all her courage, Kimiko took in a deep breath and stepped off the edge.

**Please REVIEW~ I really wanna know what you guys think about this story:D  
****And in case you guys are wondering where the RAIKIM is, the next chapter is full of RAIKIM:D**


	2. Chapter 2 By your side

**HEY ALL:D  
****Here's chapter 2 of Always by your side:) As promised, there's loads of Raikim in this chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it:)  
****DISCLAIMER: I do not own xiaolin showdown**

Raimundo, who was worried, took out a shen gong wu, and held it to his ear, never taking his eyes off of his female teammate.

"Mind reader conch." he said, activating the wu. Then he heard it...

_'What would it matter? I'm just a girl without a family... No one is going to be here to miss me when i die anyway... Papa... Mama... I'm coming...'_

His eyes widened in shock, as he dropped the wu. The showdown started, and his world moved in slow motion. Oblivious to what was about to happen, Clay and Omi were cheering for Kimiko by the sides. Raimundo watched as the girl took a bold step off the edge.

She was falling. She felt the wind whip her hair about, as she reached out for the cube. She turned her head a little to her left, to see Chase, who was halfway to the cube, and had frozen in his tracks with a look of shock plastered onto his face. Obviously, the heylin lord never expected that she would be stupid enough to throw her life away like this.

_'Looks like I'll never have the chance to tell Raimundo how i feel huh? That sucks...'_ a tear escaped her eye, and left a trail down her face, as she fell head-first. As she neared the cube, she grabbed it in her hands, ending the showdown. The scenery changed back to its original setting, but as she thought, she didn't stop falling. She was reaching the bottom of the cliff now. Closing her eyes, she kept them tightly shut, and brought the wu in her hands to her chest. Overwhelmed by fear, she opened her eyes, and vision started to blur.

"Shoku star, Wind!" was all she heard before she blacked out.

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When the showdown ended, Raimundo recovered from his shocked state, and did the first thing that came to mind.

"Shoku star, Wind!" Raimundo, jumped off the cliff, and used his control over wind to propel himself forward. As he approached her, he scooped her up, before using his wind powers to fly back to the top of the cliff, where he went into a kneeling position, with her still cradled in his arms.

"Kimiko!" Omi and Clay shouted, voices dripping with worry, as they ran over to their friends' sides.

"She's fine, just passed out. C'mon lets get back to the temple." Raimundo said with relief evident in his voice, as he took the Cube of Draco, Star Hanabi and Mantis Flip Coin, which Kimiko was clutching onto tightly despite her unconscious state. He stood up, carrying Kimiko bridal style, and heading for Dojo, who had transformed into his 50 foot form.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After setting Kimiko on her bed, Raimundo left the room, and gently closed the door. After that incident, Raimundo felt that it was best that master fung knew about her father's passing, as it didn't seem like Kimiko was taking it too well.

"Wounds will heal over time. But for now, we need to watch her. After what she did, I wouldn't be surprised if she tries it again." master fung advised.

Raimundo nodded, before taking his leave. He was really worried. Never did he think that she would fall apart and resort to suicide, ever. He always thought that Kimiko was a headstrong girl, who was courageous and determined. The girl he fell in love with always had passion burning in her eyes, but the Kimiko now, was just a broken soul without the courage and strength to move on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Waking up, Kimiko scanned her surroundings. She was lying in her queen-sized bed in her room. It was dark, and the moon was full. Confused, she slowly sat upright, and pushed off her quilt. Then it all came back to her... Her father's passing, the Cube of Draco, and her attempted suicide…

Remembering the letter that her father left her, she fished the envelope out of her pocket, and carefully opened it. True enough, there was a letter for her in it.

'Kimi-chan,  
I just want you to know that I have led a happy life, being able to meet your mother, and having such a caring and sweet daughter like you.  
My biggest regret is not being able to be there to watch you grow up.  
Don't be too upset. Everyone has to die one day. My time just came a little earlier.  
I just want you to know that I'm proud of you, Kimiko Tohomiko.  
-Papa'

Unable to continue being in this cold and dark room, she slowly made her way out, still barefooted. She didn't know where her feet were taking her. All she knew was that anywhere was better than a small and stuffy room.

Not long after, she found herself sitting on one of the rooftops of the temple, staring at the mountains in the distance. She let the feeling of emptiness and solitude sink in. Tears left a trail along her cheeks. Trails that she didn't bother wiping off…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Unaware of where he was going, he somehow ended up at one of his favourite spots, the temple rooftop. Then he saw a figure sitting on the rooftop. As he walked closer, Raimundo saw the figure's beautiful features. Her raven black hair was let down from its usual ponytail, and her blue eyes were sparkling in the moonlight.

Hearing his footsteps, the figure turned her head to face him. His emerald orbs staring into her sapphire ones. Raimundo noticed her tear-streaked face and puffy eyes, but it didn't matter to him. To him, she was still the most beautiful thing in the world.

Raimundo was greeted by a question from Kimiko, who had turned her head back to face the mountain range. "Why did you save me?"

"The real question, is why did you do it?"

Her hands found their way to her lap, and they clung onto her robes. She bit her lower lip, trying to suppress her sobs, but to no avail. Her tears travelled down her cheeks, and fell onto her clenched fists. "I-I can't do it..."

"What?" questioned the confused Raimundo.

"I can't just live on with my life like nothing has happened..." she answered, her voice cracking.

"Kim, nobody's asking you to act like nothing has happened. You need to face up to reality. Running away from facts isn't gonna-"

"I'm scared..." she confessed, no longer holding back her tears. When Raimundo couldn't find the words to say, she continued.

"I'm afraid... I feel empty inside. I can't find the strength to go on... I-I don't want to be alone..."

Raimundo quickly kneeled down in front of her and embraced her in a hug. "You're never alone... You have the people in the temple. Y-You have me..."

"Rai..."

Raimundo broke the embrace to look her in the eye. "Kimiko... No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side."

Their faces were centimetres apart, their noses almost touching one another's. Kimiko's eyes searched Raimundo's for any signs of deception or pity, but found none. There was only sincerity in his eyes.

Kimiko was truly touched by what Raimundo said. She gave him a sincere smile, as more tears flowed down her face.

Noticing this, Raimundo brought his hands to her face, and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. He then proceeded to close the gap between them. As their faces neared one another's their eyes slowly closed. Then both their lips connected. The kiss was slow, and fuelled by passion and lust. Sparks shot between the both of them. When they separated, they leaned their foreheads against one another's and stared into each others eyes.

"Thank you." Kimiko said said so softly that it was barely audible, but just loud enough for Raimundo to hear. Kimiko leaned her head against Raimundo's chest, and his hands snaked their way around her tiny waist, and pulling her closer to him. Both sat there for the next few hours, enjoying the comforting silence between the both of them...

The next morning, Raimundo and Kimiko entered the kitchen with growling stomachs, and wide smiles.

Clay, who sensed their presence, looked up from his half-finished breakfast. "Mornin' Rai, Kimiko. Great ta see that ya feelin better Kimi-" Clay greeted, but stopped when he saw that Raimundo and Kimiko had entered the kitchen hand-in-hand.

Seeing that a wide grin was plastered onto Clay's face, Kimiko's face flushed red. Flustered and shy, Kimiko attempted to withdraw her hand from Raimundo's, but he tightened his grip on her hand when he felt her hand slipping out of his. He wasn't going to let go of her that easily.

He saw her turn to look at him with a shocked expression, and he flashed one of his signature charming smiles. Finding reassurance in his smile, Kimiko smiled sweetly back at him.

"Looks like Monk Xu and Monk Lee owe us eighty bucks." Clay told Dojo.

"Wait... I thought it was twenty bucks." Dojo replied, confused.

"We doubled, twice." Clay said with a wide smile, holding up two fingers.

"You were betting on us!" Kimiko screamed, face turning red, but this time it was from anger. Clay and Dojo were chuckling nervously, and backing away slowly. Raimundo sat down at the kitchen table, as he watched his girlfriend flare up.

_'Girlfriend... I like the sound of that.'_ Raimundo thought, a wide genuine smile spread across his face, as he stared lovingly at the girl of his dreams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**FLASHBACK [an hour ago]**  
The sunrise never looked more beautiful. The vivid colours spread across the sky, and illuminated the mountain range before them. Sure, they've seen many sunrises, but this was different...

Kimiko was snuggled up in Raimundo's arms, feeling comforting warmth radiating from his muscular body.

Raimundo had his arms around the petite girl, enjoying the feeling of wanting to hold her forever, and protecting her from all harm.

She felt safe in his arms, and he felt content with his arms around her.

"Kim?"

"Hmm?" Kimiko turned her head to face the boy of her dreams, as she gazed into his beautiful emerald orbs.

"I-I've always liked you. Since day one. But I only realised how much I loved you after the whole 'Wuya in the flesh' incident. So many times I've wanted to tell you how i feel, but the time just wasn't right. I couldn't find the right time to te-" Raimundo's confession was cut short by Kimiko, who had her lips over his.

Much to his disappointment, she slowly started to pull away almost immediately after their lips came into contact. Once again she gazed into his eyes.

"Just get to the point." Kimiko said in a soft and gentle voice.

"W-Will you be my girlfriend Kimiko?" Raimundo asked, in a very straightforward manner.

Kimiko truly felt like she was in heaven. First the boy of her dreams just asked her to be his girlfriend_. 'If this is a dream, nobody pinch me.'_

She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought herself up to his eye level. They were so close that their noses were touching. "Yes" she whispered. Then she crashed her lips into his. She felt him smile against her lips as he wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and deepened the kiss.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This morning's events were replaying in his head. His lips still had this ticklish lingering feeling. It took all of his willpower to resist bringing his fingers to his lips.

Just then, the presence of someone broke his chain of thoughts. Master fung, who had entered the room immediately called for everyone's attention.

"Young monks, I have an announcement to make. Starting today, two new students will be joining us. One has already arrived, and the other will be arriving in a few hours."

Just then, a boy whose physical features and body build resembled Raimundo's walked in. Like Raimundo, he had tanned skin. But his hair was black, and he had stunning ruby red eyes.

"Long time no see, Rai." the black haired boy greeted with a large smirk on his face.

Raimundo's shot wide open, and his face portrayed a look of utter shock. "Carlos!"

**So as you guys can see, I've introduced two of my OCs:) Draco [Chase's heylin accomplice] and Carlos [New xiaolin dragon] my last OC is coming up in the next chapter:) I'll put up a Character Bio after all my OCs are out.  
****Until then, please review~**


	3. Chapter 3 New dragons

**Here's the 3rd chapter:D  
I decided to add a little small fight scene in this chapter:) Hope you guys enjoy it~  
Disclaimer: I do not own xiaolin showdown**

"Long time no see, Rai."

"Carlos!" Raimundo's face portrayed a look of utter shock.

"Young dragons, meet your new teamate, Carlos Henriques. He is from Brazil, and i believe he and our young Raimundo here, have already met." master fung announced.

Trying to ease the awkwardness, Carlos walked over to Raimundo. "Hey dude, you gonna stop staring at me with your mouth wide open? Cause you look really stupid right now." Carlos said to Raimundo, with a wide friendly grin.

There, standing before him, was his childhood best friend. He couldn't believe it. Never in his life, did Raimundo think that he would see Carlos here at the temple.

Recovering from his state of shock, a huge smile spread across Raimundo's face. "Welcome to the team, bro." He said, raising his hand.

Carlos, who knew what Raimundo wanted to do, gave him a high-five, clasping his hand and bumping their shoulders as a greeting.

"You know him, Rai?" Kimiko questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"You kidding me girl? We've known each other since we were kids!" Carlos answered in his place.

"I am so excited to meet you! I can't wait to teach you the ways of the Xiaolin, and with my help and expertice, you will soon rise to apprentice level." Omi said to Carlos with his chin up and chest puffed out.

"Actually my young monk, Carlos and the other new student, like you, are already of Wudai level. Carlos has spent the last two years training at Master Monk Guan's temple." master fung informed. After hearing the news, Omi's look of excitement changed to a crestfallen one, as he missed another chance to show off.

"So who's the chrome dome with the fantastically huge ego?" Carlos asked Raimundo, tilting his head to point in the direction of Omi.

"That's Omi, the dragon of water. You should see the cue ball when it comes to slang. He's hopeless." Raimundo told him, whispering the last part so as to not offend the little monk.l

"I am the greatest xiaolin warrior of all time! And i may have a fantastic ego, but i assure you that it is the correct size." Omi corrected, earning loud chuckles from the monks.

"Nice ta meet'cha. The name's Clay Bailey. Im the dragon of Earth." Clay introduced himself, extending a hand.

Carlos shook his extended hand. "Texas huh? Sweet."

"And this is Kimiko. She's from Japan, and she's the dragon of fire." Raimundo introduced. Carlos extended his hand, and Kimiko smiled and shook it.

"Didn't think this temple would have such beautiful hotties." Carlos said in an attempt to flirt with the blue-eyed japanese.

Having your chick-magnet of a best friend flirt with your girlfriend was getting very uncomfortable. But what did he expect? After all, Carlos was kind of a player back in Brazil.

"Yeap, but you're a little late bro. This one's mine." Raimundo said, as he walked over and put an arm over his girlfriend's shoulders.

Reacting to Raimundo's possessive behavior, she raised a clenched fist and jabbed it into his stomach. " What am I, an object!"

"Ow! Girl, you hit hard!" Raimundo said, clutching onto his aching stomach. Kimiko mearly stuck her tongue out in response.

Carlos, who was very amused, burst into laughter. "Beautiful and fiesty. Definately a keeper." Carlos commented, flashing Rai a thumbs up.

"My dear friend, what is your element?" Omi asked, walking up to Carlos.

Words were getting boring. Time for a little more hands-on stuff."You really wanna know?"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You sure it's okay to be fighting on his first day here? What if Omi beats the crap outta him?" Kimiko questioned.

"Relax, Carlos can handle it. Besides, its just a friendly sparring session. I'll stop the match if anything happens ok?" Raimundo assured her, drapping his arm over her shoulders.

Carlos had suggested for a friendly match for them to find out his element. He felt that it was too plain and boring to just tell it to them, so why not spice things up a bit, and give a little demonstration.

Clay, Raimundo and Kimiko were sitting by the side lines, while Omi and Carlos positioned themselves at the two ends of the training field. When they were prepared, they got into a fighting stance.

"Ready? Go!" Raimundo announced.

Omi immediately lunged forward. His small framed body increasing his speed and agility.

"Cougar strike!" He raised his leg, and brought it down. As it was about to hit it's target, Carlos turned his body ninety degrees on the sole of his left foot. Instead of nailing Carlos in the head, Omi's foot went slamming into the ground.  
Recovering from his previous attack, Omi twisted his body and tried to land another kick on him. However, Carlos side stepped that attack. Frustrated, Omi sent a barrage of kicks and punches in Carlos's direction, but none of them hit its mark.

"I don't get it. Why isn't he attacking back?" Kimiko thought out loud.

"He's dodging every single one of the lil' guy's attack." Clay added.

"He's using minimum movement to dodge Omi's attacks. He isn't even blocking them, he's just evading the attacks." Kimiko mummbled to herself, while she thought of all the possible things that Carlos was trying to do.

"He's wearing Omi out. He knows that Omi has more experience than he, so his best option now is to dodge his attacks, and strike when he's tired and slowing down." Raimundo deduced.

"Wudai neptune, Ice!" Many huge shards of ice flew in Carlos's direction. Carlos waited till they were close enough, before he jumped in the air and did a backflip to avoid them. Immediately after he landed back on the ground, Omi appeared right behind him.

"Repulse the monkey!"

"Wudai comet, Darkness!" Carlos shouted, turning on the spot, and thrusting his arm in Omi's direction.

As if it had a mind of its own, Carlos's shadow shot up from the ground, and wrapped itself around Omi. He struggled to free himself, but to no avil. He had lost the match.

"Winner, Carlos!" Raimundo announced. Immediately, the shadow retracted itself from Omi, and returned to its rightful position.

"Anything else you wanna teach me chrome dome?" Carlos mocked, with a playful grin. Unhappy with the results of the fight, Omi huffed, and turned to back face him and crossed his arms.

"Its alright Omi, its just a friendly match. Nobody will always win." Kimiko consoled, patting him on his round and bald head.

"I am the greatest xiaolin warrior of all time, and I will not lose to a new student!" Omi shouted, pointing his finger at Carlos. He then turned on his heels and stormed back into the temple.

"What's up with him?" Carlos asked, rolling his eyes in annoyance. He had been here at the temple for less than three hours, and he had somehow managed to make one of the monks dislike him.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't get it! What's his deal!" Carlos complained as he sat at the kitchen table, with Raimundo and Kimiko sitting opposite of him, holding hands.

"Chillax bro, Omi's just a little competitive." Raimundo shrugged.

"Chillax! You're asking me to chillax! How can you expect me to chill if the cue ball keeps giving me a stare down every five seconds!" Carlos shouted in annoyance.

"What Rai's trying to say is that Omi is just upset tgat he lost. I'm sure he'll get over it soon." Kimiko assured.

Carlos leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. "Yeah, maybe..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lil' buddy, this is gettin ridiculous. You've been practicin for the past few hours. You needa take a break." Clay tried persuading.

"No, not until I have polished that upside down frown out of his face!" Omi insisted.

"I think ya mean 'wiped that smile off his face'." Clay corrected.

"That too."

Giving up, Clay decided to go back indoors. 'Talkin ta Omi when he sets his mind onto something, is like tryin to get a six-legged mule to budge'

When he got back into the shade of the temple roofs, he heard loud laughter coming from the backyard. Advancing to the backyard, he found the source of all that laughter. Raimundo and Carlos stood near the fountain, soaked to the skin, while Kimiko stood a distance away, dry and laughing at the two. Each of them were holding a hose.

Earlier on, Kimiko and Carlos had each grabbed a hose, and drenched Raimundo in water. In return, Raimundo had grabbed a hose of his own, and soaked Carlos to the bone. Noticing that Kimiko as the only dry one among the three, Clay, who didn't want to miss out on the fun, grabbed a hose, and snuck behind her. Holding the hose above her head, he managed drench her entirely. This turned into an all out water war between the four monks.

What they didn't notice, was that Omi was standing a few metres away, glaring at Carlos with jealousy and feriocity in his eyes.

Their fun was cut short, when master fung emerged from within the temple, and called for everyone's attention. Behind him was a girl, who was half a head taller than Kimiko. She had wavy hair that went a little past her shoulders. Her eyes were a light hazel colour, and like Kimiko, she had flawless ivory skin.

"Young monks, meet the dragon of light, Anya Vydrina. She is from Russia, and has been training at the southern temple. Like most of you, she is a Wudai warrior." master fung announced.

"Great to have you on the team. Im the Shoku warrior. The name's Raimundo." he introduced himself, holding out his hand.

Anya stared at Raimundo's hand. Her gaze went up to his face, then back down to his hand, contemplating on whether or not she should shake it. Then slowly, she lifted her hand from her side and shook his hand.

"Due to the lack of rooms, Kimiko, you will be sharing your room with Anya for the time being, until her room is constructed." master fung said, earning a nod from her.

While clay and Omi were introducing themselves to the new comer, Carlos decided to liven up the mood a little. "Looks like you're no longer the only beautiful hottie in this temple now huh?" Carlos teased, earning himself a punch in the arm that would definately leave a bruise. Hearing Carlos's comment, Anya's face turned a bright shade of red.

"Hey, the name's Kimiko. Our room is down the hall, first door on your left. You can't miss it." Kimiko said with a wide and friendly smile. Anya gave a nod, before heading in that direction, which signaled that it was time for everyone to disperse to do their own training and such.

When everyone had left, Raimundo took the chance and sauntered over to Kimiko. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her left shoulder. He then turned his head, so that his mouth was right next to her ear.

"Don't worry, you're still the only hottie in my eyes." Raimundo whispered into her ear. His warm breath on her skin sent chills down her spine. She turned around, with his arms still around her waist. She stood on her toes, and pressed her lips firmly on his. Her arms then wrapped themselves around his neck. Her hands found their way to his hair and her fingers tangled themselves in it. When they separated, she looked into his eyes and whispered with a playful grin on her face, "I'd better be."

'No one told me that it was gonna be so hot here.' Anya mentally complained, deciding to change out of her thick clothing. This place was scorching hot compared to the southern temple.

After setting down all her things in her new room, she picked up a set of female monk robes and a wudai sash. She then proceeded to remove her top. When it was halfway over her head, Anya heard the door open.

"Hey, I just thought that maybe we could-" Carlos started, but stopped when he saw what the girl was doing.

Both of them stared at each other in shock, their faces turned a bright red colour.

"I'm sorry, don't scream!" Carlos quickly blurted out while turning around and slamming the door shut.

'Way to go Carlos... Real smooth... She probably hates you now.' He turned around to back face the door.

After a few moments of loud shuffling, the door slowly creaked open. Shocked, Carlos turned a hundred and eighty degrees, and came face to face with Anya. Their faces were inches away. Nervous, Anya took a step back. "U-umm... Were you looking for me?" she asked in a shy and soft voice.

"Well, i just thought maybe we newcomers could get to know each other." Carlos suggested, scratching the back of his head, embarrassed about what happened just now.

"I see. But perhapes some other time would be best." Anya rejected.

"But I-" Carlos started, but didn't get to finnish when Anya closed the door in his face.

'Geez Carlos, way to make a good impression...' Carlos thought to himself sarcastically, mentally slapping himself.

He walked past a crow, that was perched on a tree by the window, but didn't give it a second thought.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watching through the seeing eye of his pet crow, Chase started planning his next move.

"So, there are two new additions to the Xiaolin monks." Chase observed.

With two new dragons, it would be harder to fight the monks head on. Either that, or the newcomers would become a hindrance, and pull the team down.

His pet crow then turned to focus on Carlos.

"This dragon of darkness... He managed to win Omi in a sparring match. I bet the little guy's pretty sour about this." Wuya added.

An evil smirk spread across Chase's face. His demonic features portrayed a glimpse of excitement, as a plan started forming in his head. A plan, that would tear the monks apart for good...

**Next chapter will be up soon:) Thanks for reading~ Please review:)**


	4. Chapter 4 Wrecked bonds

**HEY ALL:D  
Here's chapter 4~  
Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown**

Lying on her bed with her eyes wide open, Anya waited for sleep to come over her, but it never came. She had been tossing in her bed for about an hour now.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and her Japanese roommate entered the room.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

Anya shook her head in response.

"So how was your first day here? The temple grounds are pretty nice huh?" Kimiko started up a conversation.

Turning to back-face Kimiko, Anya reluctantly replied. "It's ok I guess..."

Sensing that the girl didn't want to talk, Kimiko switched off the lights, and climbed into her own bed. She pulled the covers over her head. Under her blanket, she took out her phone and sent out a text message.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stretching his tired neck, Raimundo got into his bed. Right after he got into a comfortable position, he felt his cell phone vibrate under his pillow. Groaning, he pulled out his phone, and saw that he had just received a text message from Kimiko.

'Anya doesn't seem very friendly:( Wonder what's up with her. '

Yawning, he replied to her text. 'Relax girl, she just got here. Give her time, she'll loosen up. Don't worry about it ok? Go to sleep.'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reading his message, she sighed deeply. Kimiko had always wanted to have another girl in the temple, but this wasn't at all how she expected it to be. Having a girl who didn't even have the slightest intention of being friendly around them was going to be troublesome...

Anya lay in awkward silence, pretending to be asleep. However, many thoughts were running through her head. 'Why are the people of this temple acting so nice? I don't need them to pretend that they are my friend. It's not like I wanted to be here anyway...'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**FLASHBACK (a week ago)**

"What!" Anya shouted in disbelief.

"I'm sorry young monk, but it's been decided that you move to the main temple, to join the other Xiaolin dragons in training. " her master informed her.

"Please don't send me away. I don't want to leave!" She begged, as tears started to flood her eyes.

" Anya-"

"I'll do anything... Please let me stay."

"An-"

"This place is my home! You can't send me away-"

"ANYA!" This shocked the girl into stopping her continuous begging. He continued, "From now on, the main temple will be your home, and the people of that temple will be your family. You have fifteen minutes to pack up. Your train will be departing soon." her master said in a calm and monotonous voice.

'They can't do this to me...' She clenched her fists. "Wudai moon, Light!" she thrust a hand upwards, and a ball of blinding bright light appeared. It quickly expanded, temporarily blinding everyone in the room.

When the light had faded, Anya had disappeared... "Find her!" her master ordered.

The monks of the temple had spent an entire hour looking for her, but to no avail. Thinking that by missing her train ride to the main temple, she need not be sent there anymore, she snuck back into the southern temple.

When she entered her room, she closed the door behind her, and walked towards her bed. Then, she heard a click. Realisation hit her. Panicking, she ran to the door, and frantically tried to turn the doorknob. However, to her dismay, the doorknob didn't budge. It had been locked from the outside.

"You have deliberately disobeyed me, and the masters of the temples. Your next train will arrive in a few hours . Until then, you are to stay in this room." she heard her master say from the other side of her locked door.

"No! Please... You can't do this to me! Let me out! Don't send me away... Please..." finally realising that nothing she said was going to change their mind, she leaned against the door, and slid to the floor. She curled into a ball, legs against her chest, and hands wrapped around them, and sobbed.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sky was a bright orange, tainted with streaks of yellow and pink. The sun had barely risen over the mountain range, and the monks had been up for hours, training.

Jumping high into the air, she did her signature move.

"Judolette flip, Fire!" Kimiko's foot caught on fire as she did continuous flips in the air. Her flaming foot created a wheel of fire around her spinning body. When she started her descend, she brought her leg forward, planning on crashing it onto her target.

Being the quick-witted person that he is, Carlos crouched down, getting ready for the attack. When Kimiko's leg was centimetres away, he raised his hands above his head, and quickly straightened his body, mindful not to come into contact with the portion of her leg that was on fire. This created a momentum that he used to push Kimiko backwards.

Using the momentum created by Carlos, Kimiko did a back flip to create distance between the two of them. She then did a well-balanced landing, sliding back a few inches.

Both sparring buddies stared at each other, planning their next move. Beads of perspiration travelled down their faces, and they were panting heavily.

At first, Carlos was on the offensive, executing many of his elemental attacks. Kimiko used her speed and agility to dodge each and every attack, gaining a few cuts and scratches from rough landings, but nothing serious. When Carlos started showing signs of slowing down, Kimiko quickly switched to the offensive, and did her signature move, that Carlos had managed to counter.

Bringing her left foot in front of her right, she raised one hand above her head. The other hand had its palm faced outwards at Carlos.

"That stance... She's gonna try that new move!" Raimundo, who was sitting on the sidelines with master fung and the other monks, observed.

"But she hasn't perfected that yet." Omi pointed out.

"We gotta stop her, she's gonna hurt herself!" Raimundo stood up and was about to stop the match, but master fung put an arm in front of him, obstructing his path.

"She's been practicing hard. Have a little faith." master fung said in a calm voice.

Clenching his fists, and chewing his lower lip, Raimundo's face evidently portrayed a look of worry.

Carlos stood perfectly still, watching as his opponent got into her fighting stance. The stance was foreign to him, nothing he had ever seen before.

Kimiko bent her right leg and straightened her left, shifting her body weight to be entirely on her right leg. She then proceeded to light her raised hand on fire. Swinging her arm downwards, her entire body was surrounded in flames.

Carlos readied himself in a fighting position, as he watched his opponent jump high into the air. She then crossed her arms around her flaming body. Although it was just a flicker, he saw her eyes turn blood red for a moment, before she spread her arms wide open. The flames surrounding her followed her arm action, and burst in two opposite directions, forming the shape of two gigantic wings.

'Wings! Wait... It's... A phoenix!' Carlos realised, eyes widening in shock.

Gold and orange flames danced at the tips of the wings, making them seem real. The tail was made out of streaks of flames, and the phoenix looked glorious and magnificent, all the way down to the slightest detail.

Engulfed within the flames, was Kimiko, who looked unaffected by the flames surrounding her body. The phoenix followed her every movement.

"Soaring phoenix, Fire!" with that, the phoenix let out a loud cry. It flapped its wings a single time, and swooped down at its target.

Scurrying backwards in fear, Carlos tripped over his own foot, and fell backwards. Fear and shock evident in his eyes.

The flaming phoenix closed in on its target, threatening to burn the living out of him. However, about ten metres away from Carlos, the fire suddenly died out.

Turns out that Kimiko stopped her attack voluntarily, not wanting to risk badly injuring her teammate. After all, this was a friendly match.

Kimiko, who emerged from the flames, did a flip in mid-air, before making another well-balanced landing in front of Carlos and placed a finger on his forehead.

"You lose." Kimiko said in a cheery voice. Obviously, the girl was proud and ecstatic about finally mastering that technique.

She felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her waist from behind, swiftly lifting her into the air. She giggled as he twirled her around a few times, before setting her back down on the ground. Turning around, she came face to face with Raimundo, who planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Way ta go lil' lady!" Clay congratulated. Tired, Kimiko smiled sweetly.

"Hah! You lost! You should have seen the look on your face! You looked like you could shit your underwear!" Omi mocked, pointing a finger at Carlos. He couldn't pass off a chance to irritate the black haired boy.

"Its pee your pants chrome dome, and go easy on the mockery will you?" Carlos corrected, rolling his eyes.

"Hmph! I, the greatest xiaolin warrior of all time, unlike you, would not have lost to a girl!" Omi bragged.

"Hey! What's wrong wi-" Kimiko rebutted, but stopped halfway through her sentence when she felt her legs go jelly and give way. It was as if her body had all of its energy expelled from it.

As she was falling forwards, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her, giving her support, not allowing her to slip to the ground.

"Whoa, careful. You sure you alright?" Raimundo, who managed to catch her before she crashed to the ground, questioned. His voice was dripping with worry, and concern was written all over his face.

"Yeah... Just tired." Kimiko replied, trying her best to support her own weight.

"Great match Kim, you were awesome back there with the phoenix." Carlos commented, receiving a word of thanks from the girl.

"Okay, enough with the praises. Time for you to get some rest." Raimundo told Kimiko, picking her up in his arms. Feeling as though she was being treated like a little kid, she started to struggle. Using the palms of her hands, she pushed Raimundo's face away from her.

Having her hands applying pressure on his face was distracting, but he kept his grip strong and firm. There was no way that he was going to let her struggle her way out of this. Her well-being was more important.

Seeing that he was just worried for her, she stopped struggling, and let him carry her in his arms.

Anya, who was watching them the whole time, stared at the couple as they went past her. Only after they had disappeared when they rounded the corner, did she change her point of focus. 'These monks... They really do care for one another... What if maybe, just maybe, I could fit in? Find a place that I can call home, and people who I can regard as family...'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'How can anyone stand this? Can't this dude just leave me alone?'

Omi had been bugging him about how shameful and embarrassing his defeat had been for the past two hours, and frankly, he was going to lose his cool if the little guy didn't stop soon.

"-and for you to lose to a girl like Kimiko, with no upper body strength, is definitely one of the most-"

"Would you please shut your over-sized mouth! Believe it or not, you're just about as annoying as anyone can get! You're self-centred, annoying AND proud! So if i were you, I'd keep my opinions to my annoying self!" Carlos exploded with anger, spilling out his angry thoughts to the younger boy.

Omi's face did a very good impersonation of a puffer fish, before turning red with fury.

"Annoying! YOU are calling ME annoying! I am the greatest xiaolin warrior of-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… You keep telling that to yourself. Besides, if you're as great as you say you are..." He bent down to Omi's level, and positioned his head directly in front of the boy's.

"Prove it." Carlos finished his sentence in a dark tone, with a look of seriousness on his face.

Growling in anger, Omi decided to do just that. "Wudai neptune, Wa-"

Before Omi managed to finish, master fung appeared between the two boys. One of his hands on Omi's round head, and the other on Carlos's chest, keeping them both at a certain distance apart.

"Young ones, chemistry and unity is essential within a team. However, I see that the two of you seem to have a bit of trouble with those two factors." master fung lectured, looking from one monk, to the other.

"If the two of you do not learn to work together and be united, the heylin may be able to take advantage of that, and use it against you." he warned.

Turning on their heels, the two refused to heed the master's warning. Pride had triumphed. There was no way that they were willing to lay down their pride and apologise.

Not when the other party hasn't...

**I know that I'm kind of side-tracking from the whole Draco incident. But I really need to establish a kind of bond between the monks before that kicks off, so try to deal with me for the time being ok?  
Please review~**


	5. Chapter 5 Fitting In

**HEY ALL:D**  
**This is gonna be the last chapter of introductions:) The first 5 chapters were to just intro my OCs, so from the next chapter onwards, I'll be going back to the main story plot:))**

"This is all your fault! If it weren't for you, I would have gotten the wu!" Omi accused, pointing a guilty finger at Carlos.

Feeling wrongly accused, Carlos opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by Omi.

"If you hadn't had such horrible aim, the wu would ha-"

His accusations were cut short when Carlos held him by the collar, and lifted him up to eye level.

"Listen here cheese ball, the only reason why we lost the wu, is because YOU were in the way! I had it under control, but YOU had to try and act the hero!" He then dropped the younger monk, who quickly scampered back up to his feet, ready to retaliate.

"CUT IT OUT!" Raimundo bellowed, with clear irritation written all over his face. "C'mon guys, this isn't helping!"

The two glared at each other with fury burning in their eyes. Neither wanting to incur their leader's wrath, they settled on a stare-down.

The other three monks stared in awkward silence at the two rival monks. This was the third wu they have lost this week, due to the constant squabbles between the two.

Raimundo pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't what he expected when Omi first showed signs of dislike towards Carlos.

FLASHBACK [the showdown]

"The game is 'knock off the ring'. The two of us against you, Chase Young. No shen gong wu, just our martial arts. First person from any team to fall off the ring loses!" Omi challenged.

"Lets go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

Large cracks appeared on the ground beneath their feet. A circular platform was raised, and the three challengers appeared on it at different corners of the ring.

Not too far away, another platform was raised, and the other four monks, plus dojo, reappeared on it, giving them a clear view of the showdown.

"Gong yi tanpai!"

Immediately, Omi started his assault. "Monkey strike!"

"Repulse the monkey!" Chase grabbed hold of Omi's foot, and swung him into Carlos, making the both of them tumble back a few feet, in a heap on the ground.

"Get off!" Carlos kicked Omi off of himself, and got to his feet.

"Aura sphere, Darkness!" Carlos shot a beam of pure dark energy at the heylin lord.

Thrusting his palm forward to meet the attack, a wall of fire appeared. "Heylin shield, Fire!" When both elemental attacks met, they cancelled each other out, creating a thick cloud of smoke.

Carlos raised his leg, and brought it down. Delivering a kick at his opponent, he was about to follow up with a punch in the gut, when he was interrupted by the little yellow monk.

"Tsunami strike, Water!"

A huge wave of water came his way at high speeds. Chase managed to jump high into the air to avoid the attack, but Carlos wasn't so lucky. He was knocked over by the gushing water, and flew off the platform. Luckily, he quickly grabbed the edge of the ring, barely managing to stay in the game.

Omi was attacking Chase with combos of punches and kicks, but the heylin lord blocked all of them with his forearm.

Jumping in the air, Omi was about to execute a high-jump kick to Chase's face, but the heylin lord swiftly side-stepped it, causing the little monk crash right into a rock.

While the heylin monk was distracted, Carlos took the opportunity to focus his inner energy, preparing for his next attack.

"Wudai Comet, Darkness!" Bending his fingers so that his hand was shaped like a claw, he focused his inner energy on his finger tips, making them glow a dark purple. Aiming it a Chase, he swiped his hand, creating a black slash-like rip in mid-air, which went flying at Chase.

Meanwhile, after crashing into the rock, Omi got back onto his feet, and ran towards Chase, trying again to land a hit on him.

With two people coming at him from both sides, Chase waited until both were close enough, before jumping in the air, doing a back flip and landing behind of Omi.

Before the little monk could respond, the attack sent by Carlos had collided with him. Instantly, he flew back a few metres, tumbling off the ring.

There was a bright flash of light, and the showdown ended. The landscape went back to normal, and Chase stood victorious a few feet from the group. The monks stared wearily at the heylin lord, unsure of what he was about to do next. A smirk played on his face, and in a flash, he was gone.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Omi, and your inability to trust your teammate, and consistent taunting, has cost us yet another wu." master fung lectured. Then he turned to face Carlos.

"Carlos, your unwillingness to cooperate with your teammate, and constant aggression, has only aggravated the situation, and caused a small problem to become a big one."

He turned to look at both monks, who had hung their heads in shame. "That is why tonight, the two of you will scrub the entire main hall until it is spotless."

The both of them opened their mouths to protest, but were silenced when master fung sent a murderous look in their direction.

His attention then shifted to the leader. "Raimundo, for being unable to ensure that your teammates are able to work together, and for failing to stop them from their constant squabbles, you too, will scrub the main hall."

"Whaaaaat? But master fuuuuung..." Raimundo whined.

"No buts Raimundo, you have failed to do your duty as their leader, and therefore, will be punished along with them."  
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"I'd rather scrub the entire main hall myself!"

"Oh yeah? I bet I could do it ten times faster than you!"

"Yeah right chrome-dome. I-"

"SHUT UP! Unless you two want to be stuck scrubbing floors all week, I suggest you BOTH keep you comments to yourselves! I don't know about the others, but I am sick and tired of listening to the both of you yelling at each other day and night!" Raimundo yelled at both of the boys who were scrubbing the temple floors along with him.

Both monks immediately ceased their squabbles, and concentrated on scrubbing the floors. Sighing deeply, Raimundo went back to his scrubbing. They had been scrubbing for almost two hours, and they were only halfway done.

Earlier on, despite the fact that master fung forbade it, Kimiko and Clay had offered to help them with the clean up. Just in case they got into trouble for doing so, Raimundo turned them down, telling them to turn in for the night.

'I knew I should've gotten their help...'  
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"Hey, Kimiko?"

As smile spread across her face. This was the first time Anya had voluntarily started a conversation with anyone in the temple. "Call me Kim."

"Kim, what was it like being the only girl in the temple?" Anya asked shyly.

"Well honestly, at first it sucked. It was just me and the boys. The four of us couldn't work together at all. I've always thought that they were all people who I would never be able to get along with. But after a while, i realised that no matter what happened, the three of them always helped and supported me. They were always the ones that were there for me. They were there to comfort me when my papa passed away too. They are my family."

Anya watched as a gentle smile spread across Kimiko's face.

"They really are very precious to you, aren't they?" Anya concluded.

"More than you can imagine..."

'The people of this temple weren't as bad as I thought... In fact, their actually really nice...'

"What about Carlos? What is he like?" Anya questioned, curious.

"I think he is a really great guy. He loves playing a fool, but is serious when he needs to be. He's really friendly though. Why?" Kimiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing... It's just that I wanted to know how the people here are like. I've lived in the southern temple all my life. I've never had any friends, so i just thought maybe-"

"Wait... You never had friends?" Kimiko interrupted.

"Well, the monks there were all old, and none of them actually bothered much about me-"

"What about your parents?" Kimiko interrupted yet again.

"They died when i was three... There was a fire, and they died saving me..." Anya replied, lowering her head, with a solemn look on her face.

Realising her insensitivity, Kimiko quickly apologised, but Anya gave her a small smile, and shook her head.

Wanting to remove the awkward atmosphere, and replace it with a more cheery one, Kimiko changed the topic.

"Anya, you've come to the right place. From today onwards, you've officially got yourself your first friend." Kimiko said, holding up her right hand to her.

Anya stared at Kimiko, wide-eyed and speechless. Nobody has ever been so open, and so friendly to her. Her first friend... She slowly lifted her hand, and shook Kimiko's. Before the two could break contact, Anya pulled Kimiko in to a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Anya squealed. Tears of joy leaked from the corners of her hazel orbs.

'Anya wasn't so bad after all... She just didn't know how to act around people her age.'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He lay still on his bed, hands behind his head, and headphones blasting music into his ears.

After scrubbing the main hall for the past couple of hours, his entire body ached. He flopped onto his bed the moment he stepped into the room, in a desperate attempt to expel his exhaustion.

Just as he was about to drift off into dreamland, his door swung open, and on the other side of the door, stood Raimundo. Without any form of acknowledgement, Carlos closed his eyes once more. "If this is about what happened earlier, I'm not apologising."

"I'm not asking you to apologise." Raimundo said in a serious and low tone.

Opening his eyes, Carlos sat up in his bed, and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"All I'm asking is for you to try to get along with Omi. You're doing well getting along with the others. I don't see why it has to be different with him."

"You don't get it. Its not like the cheese ball goes around rubbing every mistake you make in your face." Carlos complained.

"Dude, are you kidding me? He did that to me all the time when the others were promoted to apprentice, while I wasn't." Raimundo objected.

Carlos rolled his eyes and flopped back down onto his bed, and rolled over to back-face his best friend.

Getting the hint that Carlos didn't want to talk about this, Raimundo turned on his heels and walked out the door. Getting the group to work together was going to get a whole lot harder...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lying on his bed, he heard another knock on the door. Not even bothering to look at the person standing by his door, Carlos mumbled, groggily "Go away, Raimundo..."

"Ummm..."

Hearing the reply of a girl, Carlos's eyes snapped open, and he sat up. Standing by his door was Anya, wearing her night gown and bunny slippers.

"I was wondering if your offer to get to know each other was still on."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They sat in awkward silence, both thinking of a way to start a conversation. The chilly night breeze caressing their skin, and whipping their hair about.

"You know, there's no need to be so awkward around us." Carlos started, trying to lift the awkward silence. Anya turned her head to look at him.

"I may have just joined them as well, but i know that they are really nice people. Raimundo's my best bud. Kimiko has a temper worse than any girl I've ever seen, but is at the same time a really kind person. Clay is a big brother, with a big heart. From what I hear, Omi is a really nice dude, who has a huge ego." Carlos continued. Anya stared into his sincere ruby orbs.

"And right now, you're looking at the most handsome outta the lot." Carlos joked, and ran his fingers through his raven hair, pretending to look proud.

Anya chuckled at his comment. "You sound like such a stuck-up jerk. If i didn't know you better, I might have slapped you across the face."

"Ah but you didn't, did you chica? How could you bear to slap such a handsome face?" Carlos teased.

Anya let out a laugh, and shoved Carlos by the arm as a friendly gesture. Somehow, Carlos made her want to just open up and be herself. Not the polite and shy little girl that everyone thought and wanted her to be. Somehow, Carlos was the first person who came to mind when Kimiko suggested that she go look for someone who she can be herself with.

The feeling of warmth that had been missing from her life ever since her parents' passing, was slowly returning. Slowly but surely, Anya felt like she had finally found her place in this world...

**That's the end of intro~ I'm gonna put up a rough character bio so that you guys can get a rough idea of how old the characters are and how they are like:)  
**


	6. CHARACTER BIO

**HEY ALL:D**  
**This is the rough character bio that i promised:) It's just to give you guys a rough idea of how the characters are like:)**

RAIMUNDO PEDROSA  
The Shoku Warrior. He is 19 and still has that carefree attitude of his. However, he is serious whenever needed. He cares a lot about his friends and teammates (especially Kimiko). He is from Brazil and is the dragon of the wind.

KIMIKO TOHOMIKO  
Kimiko now ties her hair into one ponytail instead of two. She is 18 and still has her fiery temper. She is currently dating Raimundo. She is from Japan and is the dragon of fire.

CLAY BAILEY  
Now at the age of 20, Clay is like the big brother of the group. The one who gives advice to others, and listens to other's troubles. He is also very easy-going. He is from Texas, and he is the dragon of earth.

OMI  
The youngest of the group at the age of 17 He still has a huge head, and a gigantic ego to match. He is still as short as ever and still gets slang wrong. He and Carlos didn't get along since day one. He is the dragon of water.

CARLOS HENRIQUES  
Raimundo's childhood friend from Brazil. He is 19 years old, and like Raimundo, he loves to joke around and tease others. He is like a black haired and red eyed version of Raimundo. He had been training at master monk guan's temple. Currently, he is dating Anya. He is the dragon of darkness.

ANYA VYDRINA  
Anya is a generally shy 18 year old girl. She is an orphan who lived in the southern temple since she was young, but was forced to move to the main temple to join the Xiaolin warriors. She has been very reluctant to interact with the monks, but started to make the effort to get to know the rest after seeing how close they were. She is from Russia, and is the dragon of light.

CHASE YOUNG  
He is one of the main antagonist in this story. He is currently plotting something big, and it has something to do with freeing his previous partner in crime, Draco.

DRACO  
Once, he worked alongside Chase for world domination on the heylin side. That was until Dashi interfered and sealed him in the cube of Draco for 1500 years. If he were to be released from the cube, he will obtain a ghostly form. However, unlike Wuya, Draco requires a host, as he can only survive without one for a maximum of ten hours. Draco has white hair and red eyes.


	7. Chapter 6 A year later

**HEY ALL:D**  
**As promised, I'm going back to the main story plot:) There's definitely gonna be more action in the chapters from now on:))**

'Dear diary,  
it's been a year since Carlos and I joined the Xiaolin temple, but many things have happened since then.  
Chase has attacked the temple at least three times in the past year. The first two were minor attacks, but the third one was serious.  
When Chase retreated, Raimundo was injured so badly, he had couldn't walk for almost a month. But you know, Raimundo will be Raimundo. He wouldn't stop trying to act tough. Every time he tries to do something stupid, Kimiko will get so worried that she actually resorted to using the tangle web comb once, to get Raimundo to sit still.  
But Chase's attack didn't result in just bad news. Thanks to the last attack, master fung thought that we should have a few precautions just in case, so Kimi got promoted to second in command~!  
Not only that, after Raimundo almost died taking Chase's hit, Carlos finally confessed to me~! I couldn't believe it back then, but now, I can't imagine what life would be without him.  
When we told the others about our relationship, Kimi was like "I knew there was something going on between the two of you!" I admit that I had been crushing on Carlos for three months before that happened, but I did try to make it not so obvious.  
All this wouldn't have happened if not for that stupid cube. Master fung says that the Key of Sealing would reveal itself anytime this week, and that's why Chase decided to attack the temple to try and get the Cube of Draco only recently.  
I can't shake off this feeling that something big is about to happen. It's some ominous feeling that I have. Hopefully it's just me being paranoid...  
-Anya'

Scanning her surroundings, Anya closed her diary, and headed to a study desk in a corner of her room, by her window. (About half a year ago, master fung finally gave her a room of her own.) Pulling out the chair, she sat down, and put her diary away.

Stepping into her room, Carlos went up to the girl of his dreams. He wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on top of her head.

"Morning chica, what's that?" Carlos asked, picking up her diary.

Anya gasped, before snatching the book back, and hugging it near her chest. "N-nothing…"

His mouth curved into a playful smirk. He brought his hands down to her waist. "Nothing huh?"

He wriggled his fingers, tickling her stomach. Letting out a loud shriek, she squirmed in her chair, trying to get away from him. Due to her constant squirming, Anya lost balance and fell off her chair. But before she could hit the ground, she grabbed the nearest thing she could, and dragged it down with her.

Losing his balance when Anya grabbed hold of his shirt in an attempt to stop her fall, Carlos fell on top of the girl. Both the palm of his hands on the ground beside her head, holding his body up.

Staring into her beautiful hazel orbs, he couldn't help but be immersed in them. He thought about how he started developing a crush on her about half a year ago. Unlike other the girls that he dated back in Rio, this girl wasn't just a fling. He was seriously and madly in love with this girl. She could be shy at times, but at the same time, could be scary when angered.

Without him noticing, his hands moved on their own, lowering his body closer to the girl's.

She lay on the floor, mesmerised by his magnificent ruby orbs. He closed in on her, and she slowly closed her eyes in acknowledgement.

Their faces were inches apart. Their eyes closed, and lips almost touching. Then suddenly...

"Anya, mind helping-" Kimiko, who apparently didn't knock, swung the door open, and froze when she saw the two on top of one another.

"Kiiiiim..." Carlos whined.

"I interrupted something didn't I... I'm... just gonna leave." Kimiko said awkwardly, backing away from the door, and swinging it shut.

Rolling off Anya, Carlos rolled his eyes. 'Ughh... Kim, you really owe me big time for this...'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Raimundo, would you please just hold still for one minute!" Kimiko shouted, clearly irritated.

"Relax, I'm fine! Geez girl, stop acting like my mother." Raimundo replied, slipping his right arm into the sleeve of the top of his shoku robe.

"Then stop acting like a child! You just recovered! You shouldn't be going for training for at least one more week." Kimiko continued.

"I'm not doing anything dangerous. I'll just do a few training practices, and maybe do a little sparring to sharpen my skills a bit ok?" Raimundo said, tying his shoku sash around his robe.

"Raimu-" Kimiko protested, but was silenced when Raimundo's lips crashed into hers.

Her eyes widened in shock at the sudden contact. Raimundo then brought both his hands up to her face, and cupped her cheeks. Pulling away, he made her look at him in the eye.

"I'll be fine, stop worrying." Raimundo told her in a firm yet gentle voice. Giving her an assuring smile, he removed his hands from her porcelain face. Turning away, he made his way to the training field.

Kimiko would never admit it to anyone, but after their previous encounter with Chase, she was scared. When Chase retreated, Raimundo was left half alive on the training field, lying on his side in a pool of his own blood. A sword stuck into his body right up to its hilt. After that, Raimundo went unconscious for three long weeks. Three long weeks, in which Kimiko had spent by his side, praying and begging that he wake up.

FLASHBACK

She held tightly onto his cold hand with both her warm petite ones. His usual tan skin was pale, and his eyes have remained shut for three weeks now. Master fung and the other monks told her that his chances of waking up were low due to his immense blood loss, but she wasn't going to give up. Not until his fate had been sealed...

Using one hand, she put it on his forehead, and swept away the strands of his fringe that had fallen out of their usual spiky form. Then she noticed the tears sliding down her cheeks. Dripping from her chin, they fell onto Raimundo's pale, unmoving face.

She cupped his face with her hand, and used her thumb to wipe her tears off his cheek. Up until now, he had been her source of strength, the one that she depended on. Seeing him so weak and worn out made her lose all confidence in herself. She felt so useless... So insecure...

"Rai, wake up. I don't know what to do... Everything's a disaster... I need you here Rai..."

He didn't respond. Just continued to lie on his bed, still and unmoving.

Her hands went to the collar of his shirt, and balled into fists, grabbing the collar along with it. She was getting desperate. "Raimundo Pedrosa! Wake up! You can't do this to me! Don't just lie here, do something, anything!" Bursting into tears, she fell to her knees, and cried onto his unmoving form.

"You said that you'll always be there for me... You promised..." She whispered in a cracking voice that she could not recognise as her own.

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, but it brought no comfort to her. She didn't care.

Clay stood behind her, hand on her shoulder. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Kimiko had been here with Raimundo day and night for the past three weeks. Caring for him, hoping that he would come too, with no results.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Raimundo came to a few days after that, Kimiko was so relieved. However, he just wouldn't sit still! He should be resting at the moment, but there he was, going out for training and acting all tough.

She would never forgive herself if he got hurt again... She couldn't imagine what would happen if he were to disappear from her life for good. The thought scared her...

'No matter what it takes, I won't let anyone take him away from me. Never again...'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Shoku star, Wind!" a streak of wind blasted out from his palms, cutting the dummy into bits.

"I see you are recovering well, my young monk." master fung said. Raimundo in return, bowed in respect.

"Yes master fung."

"As of next week, you have my permission to go on shen gong wu hunts."

"Alright!" Raimundo cheered, punching his fist in the air. He immediately regretted his action when an acute pain shot through his arm.

"Meanwhile, i suggest you rest and let your other wounds heal up." master fung added before heading back into the temple.

"Master fung" Raimundo called out, causing the elder monk to stop in his tracks.

"Draco... Just how dangerous is he?" Raimundo questioned.

Master fung's ace turned from a calm expression, to that of a serious one. "He is definitely one to be feared... We must not let him escape, no matter what the cost..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, the temple was shrouded in silence. Everyone was asleep. All except for Omi and Carlos, who received another round of punishment for fighting that very afternoon.

Even after a year, the two of them still remained enemies. Never once has any one of them attempted to be nice to each other. One would think that after all that punishment, they would have learnt to at least try to get along. This time, their punishment was to do a check on the shen gong wu.

"All the shen gong wu are here, and in their respective drawers." Omi said, before letting out a yawn. He then made his way out of the underground vault, and proceeded back to his room.

Deciding to turn in for the night as well, Carlos headed for the exit, when suddenly, a voice called out to him.

"Carlos..."

"Who's there!" Turning, around, he saw no sign of an intruder.

"Show yourself!" Carlos demanded.

"Carlos... Come..."

Tuning around, he saw that the voice didn't come from an intruder, but from one of the shen gong wu.  
Specifically, the Cube of Draco.

Slowly but cautiously, Carlos approached the cube.

"W-Who are you?" Carlos questioned.

"My dear boy, don't you already know who I am?"

"Draco..." Carlos mumbled.

"That's right. Young one, I've been watching you. You have a lot of potential, young dragon of darkness."

"You can't be watching me if you're stuck in a box that's hidden in a vault." Carlos contradicted.

He chuckled. "Young dragon, you do not know what I can do..."

When Carlos didn't reply, he continued.

"I have a proposition for you. How would you like to get even with that little monk? Omi, if I recall."

Carlos's eyes widened at this.

"All I ask is for you to free me when the Key of Sealing reveals itself. Together, we can rule the world."

Taking a step back, Carlos stared at the cube in utter shock. Turning on his heels, he bolted for the exit. He sprinted all the way back to his room, where he slammed the door shut.

There was no way he was taking Draco up on that offer. Betrayal was not something that he would do. Especially not to his best friends...

**I did a time skip of a year, to at least have the characters be closer to one another, so they won't seem so awkward with each other:) Since Draco has been missing in action for a while now, I decided to at least let him appear in this chapter:)**


	8. Chapter 7 The key of sealing

**HEY ALL:D  
****Here's chapter 7 of ALWAYS BY YOUR SIDE~**

"Well done Carlos..." Draco's voice rang out.

Looking around him, he was met with a ghastly sight. A sea of blood...

Looking to his left, he saw Clay in a badly beaten up state. Though dead, he had multiple gaping wounds, which were still oozing blood.

Then he saw Kimiko, who was lying on her back, unmoving. A sword was plunged through her stomach, pinning her to the ground. Her eyes wide open, yet lifeless. Lying by her side, Raimundo had multiple daggers stuck into his body. Reaching out, he gripped onto his beloved's unmoving hand and struggled to stay alive.

Turning to his right, he saw his biggest rival, Omi. A few daggers were also protruding out of his body. He lay on the floor, staring at Carlos with teary eyes. Then muttered in a croaky voice "Why..?"

Turning to look away, his eyes met Anya's hazel ones. She stood about two metres away, staring at him in disbelief. Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. She brought her hands to her head, and dug her fingers into her scalp. "No... No! This wasn't suppose to happen! How could you! You traitor!"

'I... I would never... This wasn't what I wanted. I couldn't have...'

Suddenly, as if he were possessed, he lost control of his body. Despite his resistance, his hand dug into his pocket and fished out a dagger. Bringing it up to eye level, he aimed it at the crying girl, and threw it.

He watched as the dagger closed in on her head. He willed his body to move, but it didn't. He could only watch as the dagger plunged itself into Anya's brain, drawing blood.

"NOOOOOO!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bolting into a sitting position, he woke up from his nightmare. Beads of cold sweat trickled down the sides of his face. Panting heavily, he threw the blanket off of himself. He lay back down on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

It's been four days since he heard Draco's proposition. Since then, he had a similar nightmare every night. His friends dying, and him killing the girl he loved the most. No matter how much he disliked Omi, there was no way that he would ever consider betrayal...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The Key of Sealing has revealed itself! We have to go NOW!" Dojo announced, morphing into his gigantic form.

Without a minute to waste, Raimundo ran towards the dragon. Using his wind powers to propel himself up, he leapt onto it. He extended a hand to help Kimiko on, and she gladly accepted his help. They were soon followed by the other four monks, who jumped onto the waiting dragon.

"I fear this is about to be one of your toughest missions yet. The key must not fall into the wrong hands no matter what it takes." master fung told them in a serious tone.

The Xiaolin warriors nodded, and Dojo took off.

Master Fung watched with worry, as the dragon flew off into the distance. "Be safe..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I know the Key of Sealing is a really important shen gong wu, but what exactly does it do, Dojo?" Anya questioned.

"The Key of Sealing is a wu that is able to cancel out any sealing magic that has been placed on any person or object." Dojo answered.

"Then why is it so important? I don't get it... I've seen even more powerful shen gong wu, like the Kuzusu Atom. One blast and you're toast, but this wu just cancels seals out." Carlos thought out loud.

Kimiko sighed. How could he not understand such a simple logic. She then proceeded to explain. "You're missing the point, Carlos. The Key of Sealing isn't powerful for offensive use. Right now, it's dangerous because if it's used on the Cube of Draco-"

"Then Draco goes free." Raimundo cut in. He had a ferociously scary look on his face. One of complete seriousness and focus.

'No matter what it takes...' master fung's words rang in his head. Raimundo knew the consequences of letting Draco go free, and he was prepared to do anything from letting it happen.

A lump formed in Carlos's throat, and he swallowed hard. Draco scared him. His nightmares were a constant reminder of his fear.

Sensing Carlos's nervousness, Anya took his hand in her's and gave him a reassuring smile. It didn't help to ease the fear in him, but nevertheless, he smiled back.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Landing in the middle of a large forest, the Xiaolin warriors got off, and Dojo receded back to his miniature form.

"We'll split up to cover more ground." Raimundo instructed.

"Kim, you take Clay and Carlos and head in that direction." Raimundo ordered pointing towards the South.

"Omi, Anya, you're coming with me. We're going that way." Raimundo continued, pointing in the opposite direction.

"We'll meet back here in an hour. Send a signal if you find anything." Raimundo finished. The monks then started to move in their instructed directions.

Walking off, Raimundo was stopped when he felt a hand tugging on his arm. Turning around, his eyes met Kimiko's gorgeous sapphire ones.

Kimiko looked into his dazzling emerald eyes for a moment, and then said to him in a voice of complete seriousness, "Be careful."

Nodding, Raimundo turned and walked off. He was worried. Somehow, he just couldn't shake off the feeling that something was about to go wrong...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Guys, it's been forty minutes, and we're far away from the meet-up point. Let's just go back." Kimiko suggested.

"Just a little while longer. I think we're close." Carlos objected, pushing past a thick bush.

"Up there on that branch!" Kimiko announced, pointing at a golden key that was hung on a branch of a huge tree that was positioned right beside the black haired boy.

"Carlos, grab the wu!" Kimiko shouted.

Leaping into the air, he stretched a hand forward, intending to grab the key.

Just then, there was a burst of fire that exploded in his face, sending him flying back at the ground. Unable to do a proper landing, he slammed straight into the hard soil, covering himself in filth.

Up on the branch, stood Chase Young, who held the golden key in his hand. In a flash, he disappeared. Reappearing in front of Kimiko, he grabbed her by her neck, and lifted her above his head.

"Thank you for finding the key my dear. But unfortunately, this one's mine." Chase said, with a sick grin on his face.

Struggling to free herself, she put both her hands on Chase's and lit them on fire. To her surprise, the fire had no effect on the heylin lord. Her eyes widened in fear. His grip on her neck was tight, and she couldn't breathe. She tried to pry his hand off her neck, but to no avail.

"Wudai crater, Earth!"

A large chunk of rock came flying in their direction. In order to dodge the rock, Chase dropped the girl. She fell to the ground on her back, putting a hand on her burning throat, and gasping for air.

"You alright lil lady?" Clay questioned, running to her side and taking a fighting stance. His eyes never leaving the heylin lord.

"Y-yeah..." Kimiko replied between coughs, trying to get back on her feet.

Helping her up, Carlos gave the heylin lord a hard stare, and Chase's grin widened in amusement. He dangled the key by its chain.

"If you really want it, come and get it." Chase taunted.

Knowing how important it was that they get the key, Clay started throwing a cluster of rocks in his direction.

Chase managed to dodge the flying rocks with ease, destroying some of them in the process.

"Body Paralysis, Shadow!"

Carlos's shadow stretched and extended, travelling towards Chase. Jumping to the side, Chase attempted to evade the shadow, but it turned and followed him. The shadow was quick, and was gaining on him, despite his efforts to evade it. Just as it was about to connect with Chase's shadow, it suddenly came to a halt. Realising this, the panic dissolved from Chase's face, and was replaced with smug confidence.

"I must say, your shadow really is an impressive weapon. But, there is a flaw in your technique isn't there?" Chase said, watching as Carlos scowled.

"It would seem that your shadow can only extend to a length of about five metres. Any thing further than that would be safe." Chase deduced.

"Stone pillar, Earth!"

All at once, rock pillars shot up from the ground. However, Chase managed to dodge all the rising pillars. Immediately after that, Carlos's shadow stretched beyond its maximum length, and connected with Chase's shadow.

Chase who didn't have time to dodge the shadow, immediately found himself unable to move. His eyes widened in shock. "How did you-"

"You didn't think we spent the past year doing nothing did you?" Carlos interrupted voice full of confidence.

Looking at the pillars, he realised that its shadow was connected to both Carlos's shadow and his.

'No... It can't be. They used the pillar's shadow to lengthen the boy's shadow!'

Chase watched, unable to move, as Kimiko made her way over to him. She then proceeded to take the key from his hand.

"I believe this now belongs to us." Kimiko said, as she turned her back to the heylin lord and started to walk off. A twisted smile appeared on the heylin lord's face.

The monks were then surrounded in a circle of green fire. However, before they had the chance to react, three green fireballs came flying in their direction.

Carlos and Clay banged against the rock pillars made by Clay previously because if the impact, and lost consciousness. Kimiko was slammed into the ground flat on her stomach.

Using the palms of her hands to try and push herself to stand, Kimiko was suddenly forced back into the ground by a sudden force on her back. Turning her head a little and saw her attacker. Wuya had her bare foot on Kimiko's back, and was applying pressure on it, preventing her from standing.

"W-Wuya..." Kimiko mumbled to herself in shock.

"Surprised, Kimiko?"

"No... You're not supposed to be here... We trapped you back in the puzzle box after Rai first became the Shoku warrior. How did you-"

"You didn't think a stupid box would stop me, did you?" Wuya interrupted. Bending down, she grabbed a lock of Kimiko's raven hair. When she suddenly tugged hard on it, Kimiko let out a small cry of pain.

"Well, I'm back, and you monks will pay. Especially your little boyfriend, since it was his fault that i got trapped in that wretched box again." Wuya growled in hatred.

It was true. After Raimundo became Shoku warrior, they had a big fight against the heylin, and it was he who tricked Wuya into her defeat. Raimundo, who had hidden a puzzle box inside his robe, pretended to surrender, allowing Wuya to lower down her guard. While Wuya was bragging, he quickly pulled it out and trapped her inside.

"I believe this is ours." Wuya said, snatching the wu. Kimiko struggled, but cried in pain when Wuya tugged even harder on her hair, threatening to rip it out.

"We'll see you monks soon." Wuya whispered into Kimiko's ear, before she slammed her head into the ground. The impact on Kimiko's head knocked her out, leaving her face half buried in the soil.

Wuya then sauntered over to Chase, who had been freed from the paralysis. Then together, they disappeared, along with the Key of Sealing...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The signal should have came from somewhere over he-" Raimundo thought out loud, but suddenly stopped in his tracks. Omi, who was walking closely behind the leader, couldn't stop in time, and banged straight into him. Following Raimundo's line of vision, he found Clay and Carlos slowly awakening from their unconscious states, looking very beaten up.

Running over, Raimundo threw them a barrage of questions. "What happened? Where's Kim? Did you guys get the key!"

"I don't know. When we blacked out, Kim still had the key." Carlos replied.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sharp pain caused her to regain her consciousness. Placing a hand on her throbbing head, Kimiko slowly opened her eyes. Seeing double, she lay on her back, trying to focus her sight.

Minutes passed, she was regaining her sight, but her headache wasn't going away. Removing her hand from her forehead, she could see blood staining her fingertips. Checking herself, she saw the many cuts and developing bruises on her body.

Using her hands to push herself off the ground, she tried to stand. However, overcome by dizziness, she failed to get to her feet, and crumbled back to the ground. With her teammates nowhere to be found, and her inability to stand, she got to a sitting position, and leaned against the tree behind her.

She heard rustling to her right, but she didn't care. She could hardly stand, much less fight an enemy.

Emerging from the bushes was Raimundo. He had a panic-filled face. Scanning the area, he laid eyes on the injured girl. Eyes widening, he rushed over.

"Kim! Where's the key!" Raimundo who ran over to her questioned.

A solemn look spread across her face. She hung her head down, unable to look her leader in the eye.

Getting frustrated, Raimundo grabbed Kimiko's shoulder, ignoring her small cry of pain, and repeated his question in an intimidating voice. "Where is the key!"

"They took it..." she answered in a voice above a whisper.

"What!"

"They took it... I had it, but I couldn't stop them. I tried... I really did, but they took it..." Kimiko continued, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You've just gave them the key to freeing one of the strongest heylin lords ever!" Raimundo bellowed.

"I'm sorry..."

"Apologising doesn't solve anything now does it!" he yelled.

"Raimundo, it was two against one. You can't possibly blame her for this." Anya tried to reason.

"Now the entire world is in danger, and it's all her fault!" Raimundo shouted, then turning his attention back to Kimiko.

"You better be prepared to explain this to master fung." Raimundo growled, giving Kimiko a death glare. Then he walked off, looking for a clearing where they could take off on Dojo. Omi, Anya and Carlos follow suit, leaving Clay and a sobbing Kimiko behind.

Putting his hands on her shoulders, Clay bent down to Kimiko's eye level. "I'm sorry we weren't there for you when you were against them. Raimundo probably didn't mean what he said. He's just stressed out about the whole Draco thing."

Lifting her head up, she wiped the tears off her cheeks. Then she nodded in understanding.

Giving her a small smile, Clay removed his hands from her shoulders, and straightened his body.

"C'mon, we need to go." Clay said. He picked Kimiko up, careful to avoid touching her multiple wounds.

Normally, Kimiko would struggle and insist on walking on her own. However, she was unaware of what was happening around her. Her head was pretty messed up after being smashed to the ground. Her mind was busy thinking about what her leader has just said. 'Raimundo has never yelled at me like that... I should have tried harder... He's right, if Draco goes free, it will be all my fault...'

**I made Raimundo so stressed out about the whole Draco situation that he took it out on Kimiko.(This is for those who are confused as to why Raimundo is nice for one moment, and pissed in the next) Draco is now one step closer to being free, and the story is progressing:D**


	9. Chapter 8 Target

**HEY ALL:D  
This chapter is kind of short, but I promise that there will be action in the next chapter:))**

"You have a minor concussion, nothing too serious. Just get some rest and your headache will be gone in a few hours."

"Thank you Master Xu." Kimiko said, giving him a small bow. She slowly made her way out of the infirmary, using the walls as a support. As she walked out the door, Kimiko saw a familiar figure leaning against the outer wall of the infirmary.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite trying to seem indifferent, Raimundo found himself standing outside the infirmary. He was leaning on the outer wall and listening to what was being said inside, trying to get an update on her well-being.

"You have a minor concussion, nothing too serious. Just get some rest and your headache will be gone in a few hours."

Hearing this, he let out a sigh of relief. The worry in him instantly vanished, knowing that she was okay. No matter how hard he tried to stay mad at her, he couldn't help but feel worried inside. Stuck in his own thoughts, he didn't see Kimiko exiting the infirmary.

Sensing a presence, Raimundo turned his head towards his right and came face to face with the very person that he did not wish to see.

Both parties' eyes widened a little in surprise, but Raimundo immediately recovered, and replaced it with a calm yet bored look, as if he didn't care about the very reason he that he came.

Seeing his lack of concern for her, she hung her head in disappointment.

Pushing himself off the wall, he turned and walked in Kimiko's direction, passing by her without even acknowledging her presence.

"Raimundo..." He heard a cracking voice whisper his name.

Stopping in his tracks, he had the urge to turn around, run up to her and assure her that everything would be okay. But all of that would be a lie... Everything wasn't okay, and he knew that. He couldn't bring himself to show her warmth... Not after what she failed to do...

He forced his feet to keep on walking, increasing the distance between both of them. With every step he took, he could feel his heart breaking. As if he was crushing it with each step.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That evening, the monks were seated by the kitchen table, having dinner. All except Kimiko, who was resting. Normally, everyone will be busy stuffing food into their mouths, but today, their food lay on their plates untouched. Shrouded in silence, each of them were deep in thought.

The silence was broken by Anya, who voiced the thought that had been wandering through everyone's mind. "So... What now?"

"Let us bang into Chase Young's lair and sweep the key."

"Its 'break into' and 'swipe the key' genius" Carlos corrected sarcastically, earning a death glare from Omi.

Resting his elbows on the table, Raimundo dug his fingers into his scalp. Looking at his best friend, Carlos could tell that the stress was really getting to him. Draco was one step closer to achieving freedom. That, he couldn't allow...

"For now, we wait." Raimundo spoke up. Everyone stared wide-eyed at their leader.

"So you're suggestin' that we just kick back and relax?" Clay questioned.

"Barging into their lair won't win us the Key of Sealing. Right now, they are stronger than all of us. What we need to do now, is to guard the Cube of Draco, and make sure that Chase doesn't get his hands on it." Raimundo explained, getting up from his seat, and heading for the door, still holding everyone's gaze.

After taking a few steps forward, he stopped in his tracks.

Raimundo said in a dark, somewhat evil, voice "No matter what it takes, Draco must not go free. Even if it means our lives..."

Pulling the bells in a specific sequence, he watched as the door to the shen gong wu vault opened. Descending the long flight of staircases, he arrived at the bottom. A few metres ahead was the Cube of Draco, sitting on a shelf. Then, as expected, a voice called out to him.

"Greetings, young dragon of darkness."

"Draco."

"Now that Chase has the Key of Sealing, I will be free soon enough. Have you thought about my offer?" Draco questioned.

"I'm turning down your offer. Chase may have the Key of Sealing, but you won't go free. No matter what it takes, I won't let you go free." Carlos said with determination.

"Why continue to prolong the inevitable with your futile efforts?"

"Because there are people in this world who i want to protect. That's why, no matter what, I can always have the strength and confidence to push on." Carlos replied, ending their conversation.

With this, his mind was made up. All hesitation faded away. He was ready to fight for peace, for his friends and for the one he loved. Even if that meant giving up his life.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The corridors were dark and cold. The silence of the night was deafening. Walking through these corridors, Carlos saw a light shinning from the kitchen. Curious, he made his way to its source. Turning into the kitchen, he saw Raimundo sitting by the kitchen table, starring into space. Sensing a presence, Raimundo turned his head to look at Carlos.

"Can't sleep?" Carlos guessed.

"Yeah..."

"Me neither."

Carlos took a seat beside his best friend. The two of them sat in awkward silence, each buried in their own thoughts.

"Kimiko... How is she?" Raimundo asked, trying to make his voice sound nonchalant.

"If you're so worried, why can't you just go and see for yourself?" Carlos returned the question.

"I can't."

"Why! Is it because she lost the stupid key?" Carlos questioned, a little agitated.

"Some mistakes, we cannot afford to make. We are Xiaolin warriors. We are here to protect the world, not throw it into chaos." Raimundo answered.

"But-"

"Moreover, I'm the Shoku warrior. My priority is protecting the world, and so is yours. Now I understand... The world's safety is more important than our own... We need to put our own selfish wants aside, and think about the rest of the world. It is our duty..." Raimundo said, hands behind his back, and staring out the window.

'He's no longer the Raimundo I used to know... This isn't like him. What's happening to you?' unable to keep watching as Raimundo forces such thoughts on himself, Carlos decided to return to his own room.

Standing by the window, Raimundo stared at the vast mountain range in the darkness. A voice kept ringing through his head. The same sentence repeating itself over and over. 'No matter what it takes...'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, the monks were seated in the meeting room. The elder monks, master fung and Xiaolin dragons were all present. Then master fung spoke up.

"Young dragons, due to recent events, the elder monks and I have come to a decision. From today onwards, you, along with the other monks, will take turns to guard the Cube of Draco at night. Raimundo, I would like for you to split you team into pairs. Ten monks will be assigned to guard the entrance, and all corners of the temple at night, and each pair will take turns to join them in protecting the cube." master fung instructed.

"Yes, master fung."

With that, the elder monks and master fung exited the meeting room, leaving the dragons-in-training alone.

The pairings were decided to be Raimundo with Carlos, Kimiko with Anya, and Omi with Clay. Starting with Kimiko and Anya, they would rotate between which days they were suppose to be on shift, guarding the Cube of Draco.

That night, the monks were at their respective positions, and Kimiko and Anya were stationed right in front of the shen gong wu vault.

"I hear from Carlos that Raimundo's very worried about you." Anya said, trying to cheer up the downcast Kimiko. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't buying it.

"Whatever it is that he is thinking now, is of no concern of mine. Right now, my main concern is to protect the Cube of Draco and make sure Draco doesn't go free. I let you guys down... I let the world down... I need to redeem myself, both as the second-in-command, and as the dragon of fire." Kimiko said, filled with determination and resolve.

Taking Kimiko's hands in hers, Anya looked straight into her eyes. "You didn't let us down. It was two against one. You did your best, there's no reason for you to need to redeem yourself."

Slowly removing her hands from Anya's, Kimiko turned to back face her. "You don't understand... Our duty is to the world, and yet here I am, still thinking about my own selfish needs. Right now, I need to put my personal feelings aside. Even if it costs me this body, I will protect this world."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No!" Chase shouted in frustration, slamming his fists down onto the table in front of him. Wuya took a step back, watching the normally calm and composed Chase Young who was now very irritated.

"I don't get why you're throwing a fit over there. We got the key, isn't that good news?" Jack, who was sitting in a corner fixing up his robots thought out loud.

"Silence, worm!" Chase bellowed, causing Jack to cower behind his robots in fear. Looking back at the scroll on the table, Chase clenched his fists. 'So close... This is going to be troublesome.'

"The things we do for Draco... So, what's the problem now?" Wuya asked, letting out a sigh.

Chase replied her with venom in his voice. "The problem Wuya, is this." He then pushed the scroll towards Wuya, who was standing on the opposite side of the table. Reading the scroll, Wuya's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What does this mean?"

Sighing, he explained. "When Dashi locked Draco in that cube, he merely locked his soul inside. Without a soul, Draco's body was then easily destroyed."

"So what you mean to say, is that if we free Draco, he will just be a wandering soul without a body. In other words, he has no physical form." Jack inferred.

"In that case, why can't we just use the reversing mirror and serpent's tail to give him a body?" Wuya questioned.

"Draco isn't human, he is a demon. Shen gong wu have no effect on him. What he needs, is a live host. Preferably, someone powerful, and strong enough to contain his soul. Otherwise, the host will have his life force drained in about 24 hours." Chase explained.

"This is where I suppose the Xiaolin monks will come in handy?" Wuya guessed.

"That is correct Wuya. The Xiaolin monks will be there best option to be Draco's permanent host." Chase agreed, looking back at his scroll.

"But the spell for a permanent host is complicated and will require quite a bit of preparation. From what I know, patience isn't one of Draco's virtues." Wuya said.

"That is why I plan to release him first. He can always get himself a temporary host, until we get the spell ready." Chase replied.

"That's pretty troublesome... Can't he just be without a body for a couple of weeks?" Jack whined.

Chase sighed in annoyance. "Unlike Wuya when she was in her ghostly form, Draco cannot live without a body for over 24 hours. If he fails to find a host in a day, his soul will disintegrate, and he will cease to exist."

"So, who do you have in mind as his host? Raimundo?" Jack questioned.

"No. The person must either willingly except the role of a host, or be too weak to resist it. Young Raimundo is too strong-willed for that. I have another person in mind." Chase said with a twisted grin on his face.

Wuya and Jack looked at the heylin lord, raising their eyebrows. Knowing that they didn't quite follow his train of thought, he revealed his target.

"The dragon of darkness..."

**PLS R&R:)**


	10. Chapter 9 Freedom

**HEY ALL:D**  
**This is a relatively short chapter, but it's less talk and more action:)**

They stood in front of the main building of the temple in the dark. With only the light of the full moon, their sight was limited.

It's the third day since they started their night patrol duties. Raimundo and Carlos had been there since midnight, and two long and silent hours have passed. Suddenly, they heard rustling from behind.

Spinning on their heels, they turned to the source, but saw nothing but a potted plant. They shrugged it off as the cause being the wind. But neither were suspicious enough to see the dark figure hiding behind the plant.

Knowing full well of his role in this plan, the figure pulled out a gun, and shot the potted plant, causing the pot to shatter, and its contents to spill. Then as quickly as he came, he slipped back into the shadows.

Hearing the loud bang and smashing of the potted plant, the two xiaolin warriors on duty made a sharp turn, with their bodies in a fighting stance.

Taking cautious steps forward, Raimundo slowly approached the mess, but found no one. He scanned the area, still retaining his stance.

Bending down, Carlos examined the pile, dug his hand into it. Feeling around, his fingers suddenly came in contact with something hot and smooth. Picking it out of the mess, he examined the object. It was a single pistol bullet, which was shining under the moonlight.

Getting to his feet, Carlos decided to stop playing their little game of hide and seek. "Show yourself!"

Almost immediately, a dagger came flying towards his head. Pivoting on his left leg, he spun a little to his right, letting the dagger slide pass his face, creating a long but shallow cut on his cheek. But before he could regain his stance, a leg connected with his chest, sending him flying.

A cloaked figure stood infront of the two xiaolin warriors. A hood covered the figure's face, hiding its identity.

Reacting instantly, Raimundo sent a jump kick in its direction, but it caught his legs with both its hands. Using its grip on his legs for support, Raimundo twisted his body, connecting his free leg with the figure's head. The impact caused the figure to release his leg, and Raimundo did a backwards flip to create distance between them.

"Claw of Hades!" Carlos drew out his wudai weapon, and called its name. Gripping onto the handle, the claws of his wudai weapon encased his knuckles and the tip of the claws extended from above his knuckles, making his hand look like wolverine's.  
Slashing the air before him, he generated a crescent shaped beam, that went flying straight for the cloaked figure.

Thrusting a hand forward, the cloaked figure countered his attack with a blast of green fire. Despite having half its face covered, Raimundo and Carlos could see the wide grin spreading across the figure's face.

They were about to strike again, when suddenly a long and continuous stream of fire cut between the xiaolin warriors and the cloaked figure. The blinding orange flames brought light to its surroundings, and surrounded them with its heat. Then, as soon as it started, the fire dissappeared. The light that it brought faded along with it.

Appearing from within the flames, was their second in command, Kimiko. She stood facing the intruder with a fist extended, and the other arm bent, ready to strike at any time.

"I'm only going to ask once. Who are you, and what do you want?" Kimiko demanded with authority. There was a few seconds of silence. Not recieving any answers, Kimiko sent a punch in the intruder's direction, blasting fire out of her fist.

The figure jumped into the air, managing to avoid getting fried by the flames, but was unable to ensure that its cloak was safe from the fire. Very quickly, the flames started travelling up the cloak, encasing it in flames. Unable to continue wearing the flaming cloak, the figure tore it off, and threw it on the floor.

"Wuya!" Raimundo growled.

"Hello Raimundo, did you miss me?" Wuya greeted smugly, flicking her hair out of her face. Before Raimundo had the chance to throw an insult at the witch, they heard a loud explosion.

"That came from the vault!" Carlos realised.

"I'm going to go check it out." Raimundo decided, turning and about to sprint to the vault. But he only got about a metre away before he was stopped by a blast of green flames. He quickly backed away from the harsh heat.

"None of you are going anywhere." Wuya growled, her face morphing into a serious expression. "Jack! Get over here! Don't think you can get away with just breaking a stupid pot!" Wuya snapped.

While Wuya was calling out to Jack, Kimiko whispered to Raimundo, still keeping her hands in fists. "Don't worry. I got the others to standby at the vault on my way here, just in case." Nodding, he started to focus his elemental energy to his hands, ready to blow the intruders away with his wind powers.

Jack stepped out of the shadows, with his hood down. He held the pistol with both his hands, his finger positioned on the trigger. "Make one move and I will shoot." Jack announced in a shakey and nervous voice.

'If he pulls that trigger, elemental powers or not, we'll be in trouble.' Raimundo thought, as a trickle of cold sweat rolled down the corners of his face.

He slowly shifted his weight to his right leg, and bent into a crouching position. Using his wind powers to greatly increase his speed, he kicked off the ground, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. He sped at a great speed towards Jack, with his legs levitating off the ground.

"Raimundo no!" Kimiko screamed.

"Jack, you idiot! Shoot!" Wuya shouted at the quivering boy, who had fear written all over his face.

"BANG!"

It all happened in less than a second...

The bullet wound in his stomach caused huge surges of pain to run through his body. Losing his concentration, the wind stopped, and he fell to the ground hard on his stomach.

"Raimundo!" Kimiko screamed in terror, and ran to him, and crouched down by his side.

Taking advantage of their current situation, Wuya quickly ran off towards the vault, followed closely by Carlos who was giving chase.

Jack's eyes were wide open with shock and fear, and his hands were shaking violently. He looked from the injured Raimundo to the gun in his hands. Realising what he had just done, Jack quickly dropped the weapon. Breathing heavily, he slipped back into the shadows, running as far away from the scene as he could.

Kimiko turned Raimundo over, letting him face the dark night sky. His eyes were unfocused, and shifting consistently.

In a desparate attempt to stop the bleeding, Kimiko covered the wound with her bare hands. But didn't get the result she was hoping for. All she was doing was soaking the palm of her hands with his blood. She paniced, and tears started to spill out of her eyes. She put both her bloodied hands on each side Raimundo's face and watched as his eyes tried to focus on her with tremendous effort. "Raimundo stay with me!"

Having problems breathing, Raimundo griped onto her hand. "T-the cube..."

"The others are at the vault, they can handle it." Kimiko argued.

"They n-need a leader. Just go, I'll be fine."

"But-"

"GO!" Raimundo shouted though his voice sounded hoarse, wincing when waves of pain struck him.

Having no choice, Kimiko quickly got to her feet, and sprinted to the vault, leaving Raimundo behind.

Holding the Cube of Draco in one hand and the Key of Sealing in the other, Chase stood in the middle of the shen gong wu vault. Wuya stood a few metres away, near the unconcious Carlos and Clay. To her left were Anya and Omi, who had almost half their bodies buried under pieces of a collapsed wall, and struggling to free themselves.

It was time. Lifting the two shen gong wu above his head, Chase activated them. "Cube of Draco, Key of Sealing!"

Kimiko burst into the vault just in time to see a blinding white light flash through the room. She covered her eyes, trying to block out the light. When they reopened, she saw a translucent figure with snow white hair and fiery red eyes. He was shrouded in an intimidating killer aura. And like Chase, his cold eyes bore black slits.

"Finally... I'm free!"

**I finally got Draco out:D With that, all my OCs are up:)**  
**Pls R&R:))**


	11. Chapter 10 Captured

**HEY ALL:D**  
**Here's Chapter 10:) I re-read the first few chapter, and I really think that its kinda rushed, so I apologize if that seriously ruined the story, but I really wanna get on with the story plot. I really hope to get a few reviews, so that I can find out what you guys think, and find ways to improve on my writing. I would also like to thank all my reviewers up till now:)) I really appreciate you guys taking the time to drop a comment.**  
**So, without further ado, HERE'S CHAPTER 10~**

"Finally... I'm free!" Fifteen hundred years it had been, since Draco had last stepped outside that miniature box. Even without a body, it felt good to be free once again.

Scanning his surroundings, he turned his attention to Carlos. Despite having a disembodied form, Draco was not completely powerless, and was capable of touching things. Raising a hand, Draco made Carlos's unconscious body levitated, as if picked up by an invisible force. Calmly, he made his way over, extending his hand to touch the boy's face, but froze when he heard a female voice.

"Don't touch him!"

The heylin lord turn towards her, and gave her an amused smirk. "Who do we have here?"

Intimidated, Kimiko slowly started to step back a little, but after a step or two, she froze. She couldn't move her body. Then suddenly, she was pushed backwards and pinned against the wall behind her by an invisible force. She struggled to regain control of her body, but to no avail.

As Draco neared her, she eyes darted to the ground, too afraid to look him in the eye. When she did so, the heylin lord held her by the chin and forced her to face him. He took a second to analyze her.

"Such beauty in one so strong. This place is such a waste of your talents."

Kimiko jerked her face to her left, hoping that he will let go, but that only made him tighten his grip.

"How would you like to join us? We could train you to use your powers to its fullest potential. Besides..." Draco closed the gap between them and whispered into her ear, "Every ruler needs a queen."

Kimiko's eyes widened in shock, and Draco watched her with amusement, releasing his grip on her chin.

"Never." Kimiko growled, after Draco's words had said sank in.

"I think a little time to think might change your mind. In the meantime, you are coming with us." Suddenly, Kimiko felt the world spinning around her, and blacked out.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Regaining his consciousness, Raimundo slowly opened his eyes. His body felt sore and heavy. Trying to sit up, his stomach felt a sudden jolt of acute pain. He gritted his teeth, holding back his urge to scream and placed his hand over his bullet wound. Every move he made, felt like he was being stabbed by a knife.

Footsteps could be heard, and Clay appeared from behind the door. Seeing that Raimundo had finally woken up, Clay walked over to his bedside and took a seat in the chair beside him.

The gloomy look on Clay face told Raimundo that whatever has happened during the time he was unconscious, can't be good news. "How were things while I was out?"

Clay shifted his eyes to look at his leader in the face. There was a slight pause of hesitation before he spoke. "Draco's out."

"What! Get Kim. I want to know what happened." Raimundo ordered.

"Kim's not here, Rai." Clay said with sorrow in his voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"They're missing. Both Kimiko and Carlos have been missing since the day you were shot."

Raimundo's eyes were blank, and he was lost in his thoughts, letting this new information sink in.

"It's been three days, nobody knows where they are. We've searched Chase's and Jack's lair. No sign of them. I'm sorry..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Regaining consciousness, Kimiko felt her brain pounding away in her skull. She tried to touch her head, but realised that she couldn't move her hand. Her eyes darted open, and she looked at whatever that was restraining her movement.

Her wrists were chained to the wall above her head in shackles, and her feet were tied together to the wall. A heavy chain ran across her waist keeping it in place.

She struggled, trying to break the chains. Tugging against her restraints caused a lot of clanging, but didn't do much to weaken them. Focusing her chi to her fingers, she tried to make a fire to melt the shackles, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't start a fire. Not even a spark. Then, she heard a voice.

"It's no use. I've tried that. The shackles are disrupting the flow of chi to our limbs."

Recognising that voice, Kimiko squinted her eyes. It was dark, but she could make out another figure chained to the wall opposite of her. "Carlos!... What happened? Where are the others? Where are we?"

"No idea. When I first woke up, we were already down here. Whoever it was that brought us here, hasn't came down to check on us."

They were being locked in a prison cell. It was dark and damp. Drops of water fell from the ceiling from time to time, and there was no window, no light source. There was only the magical barrier to her right, which sealed the cell.

Kimiko's eyes quickly scanned her surroundings. Panic along with one other feeling aroused in her. Fear.

With all her might, she tugged as hard as she could on the shackles around her wrists, twisting and turning them. The loud clanging of her shackles knocking and rubbing against each other echoed through the cell. She was on the verge of tears. She could feel the pain of the shackles cutting into her skin, but right now, that was the least of her worries.

Carlos just watched in silence as she struggled and yelled in frustration. She would eventually come to realise that struggling was useless, and stop her futile efforts. Just like he had…

Letting out a final loud cry, she stopped her pointless struggling. The shackles left deep cuts in her wrists, and blood flowed freely from them. Apart from her heavy panting, there was complete silence, neither party saying anything. There was nothing to say. Whatever mess they have gotten themselves into, it would definitely take a lot more to get themselves out.

The silence that shrouded their prison cell was shattered when the sound of footsteps echoed through the walls. Carlos and Kimiko turned their heads to look at the barrier, where they expected their captor to emerge from.

True enough, as the footsteps got louder, a person came into view. Her red hair falling behind her back, and her green eyes glowing in the dark. Wuya, along with a few of Chase's jungle cats stood behind the barrier. With a simple hand movement, Wuya removed the barrier and stepped into the cell. "Get them."

Very quickly, Chase's jungle cats morphed into their human forms. Watching as they advanced towards her, Kimiko started to struggled against her chains again, but stopped when one of them pointed a dagger centimetres away from her throat.

She was unchained from the wall, and they brought both her hands in front of her before putting them back in their shackles. Looking in front, she saw that they were doing the same to Carlos.

Two of them held her tightly by her arms on both sides, and Carlos as well. Wuya turned to leave, "Let's go."

The two people holding her by the arms pulled her forward, leading her out of the cell. Turning to look back, she saw Carlos standing his ground, not wanting to budge. A man shoved his head hard, and Carlos turned to glare at him, but said nothing, and moved along.

They walked past long gloomy corridors and passage ways, and came to a stop in front of two large twin doors. Wuya pushed the doors open with both her hands, and entered the large room before her, followed by the two monks who were dragged in.

The room was almost empty except for the two heylin lords who were standing right in the middle of it. They were dragged before the heylin lords, and were forced to their knees. When Carlos refused to kneel before the heylin and tried to stand, the people who dragged him in pushed him back down by the shoulders. Unable to do anything with his hands in shackles and with two people holding him down, Carlos simply glared at the heylin lords before him. If there was any sense of fear within him at that time, he certainly wasn't showing it.

"I see that the two of you have woken up. I believe the two of you have had enough time to consider our offer to join us. So what will it be?" Chase questioned.

Kimiko turned to look at Carlos in shock. He had never mentioned anything about their offer.

"Never." Carlos growled, with hatred evident in his eyes.

Draco let out a chuckle. "You monks never cease to amuse me." Making his way over to Carlos, he bent down to his level. "It doesn't matter. Either way, you two will be stuck here, and your body will be mine."

Carlos's cold hard stare remained unwavered. He showed no reaction to whatever Draco had said. Either he anticipated that Draco might say something like that, or someone had told him that this was going to happen.

Kimiko on the other hand had a look of panic on her face. A few days ago, master fung had warned Raimundo and her that Draco might target one of the monks to be his host. And now, Draco has decided that he wants his host to be Carlos. She had to do something.

Kimiko forced all her chi into the pit of her stomach. If she couldn't control the flow of her chi to her limbs, then she would just compress all of it in an area of her body, let it go berserk and burst through her entire body.

She could feel the chi accumulating within her and the heat of fire burning in the pit of her stomach. Then all of a sudden, she felt the heat spread all over her body. It was working. The shackles that were once disrupting the flow of her chi, broke into half, letting her regain all her movement.

Before anyone could react to her unexpected escape, she threw a flamethrower in two separate directions, one from each palm. Then, manipulating the fire, she spun three hundred and sixty degrees on the spot, causing the fire to spin around her, as if they were strings that were attached to her hands.

Many of Chase's cats were hit and scorched by this attack, and those that weren't, backed away in fear. Carlos dove to the ground, barely dodging the flames as they swung centimetres above his head.

When she stopped twirling, Kimiko utilised her continuous stream of fire as a whip. Chase's cats pounced at her from above, but she swung both fire whips over her head in an X-formation, throwing them backwards, burned.

When Wuya tried to intervene, Kimiko put out the flaming whips and sent a blast of fire that went straight for her face. Wuya narrowly dodged the attack, but was caught off guard when Kimiko' elbow slammed into her cheek. There was a sickening crack, and Kimiko was sure that she had broken something in Wuya.

Carlos struggled against the shackles, wanting to help Kimiko. One of Chase's servants, standing to his left, tried to hold him down, but Carlos sent him flying with a kick. However, another two of Chase's servants came and tied his arms and legs together with a length of rope to prevent another potential trouble maker.

Noticing Carlos having trouble, Kimiko ran towards him, but was kicked in the left shoulder by Chase, sending her crashing to the ground. Rolling back to her feet, Kimiko punched the air in front of her continuously, sending jets of fire in his direction. Chase managed to cancel out all her flames by blasting jets of black fire off his own.

Kimiko drew back her hand and thrust it forward again, sending a stream of fire in Chase's direction, but he disappeared and reappeared before her with amazing speed. He grabbed her hand and raised it above her head, before twisting it behind her back. Kicking the back of her legs, he forced her to her knees. Grabbing her other free hand, he pushed her body flat onto the ground with his elbow. Kimiko squirmed and struggled under him, but couldn't get free.

Draco's eyes glowed, and Kimiko found herself unable to move once again. Four of chase's servants came and tied her wrists behind her with rope. Her elbows were tied to her body, and her knees were tied together, followed by her ankles. Kimiko squirmed and struggled, but her resistance only slowed them down. Desperate, she lit her hands on fire.

"That rope is magically reinforced. You won't be able to burn it, my dear." Wuya, who was cupping her swelling cheek said.

There was clapping, and the two monks turned to see that the source of it was Draco, who had a look of enjoyment on his face. "You're right, Chase. These monks really are an interesting bunch." Draco said. He suddenly stopped his clapping, and his face turned serious. "But we can't have you two creating chaos around here again can we? Have the boy chained back in his cell, and throw the girl in the ice prison."

Immediately, two large sized servants approached the monks, each hoisting one monk over their shoulder. Carlos looked over to Kimiko to see her eyes filled with fear, and she was no longer struggling like before. Then they disappeared when they turned the corner, with Wuya following suite.

**With that, I have successfully posted 10 chapters in my first fanfic:D YAY~ I would like to thank each and every one of the people who took the time to read this story till this point:D THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH! You guys have no idea how much this means to me:)) I really hope that you guys can stay on and read this story till the end~**  
**Please drop me a review if you can. I really wanna know what you guys think. Pretty please~~~**


	12. Chapter 11 Trapped

**HEY ALL:D**  
**Here's Chapter 11~ I noticed that I haven't mentioned Omi, Clay or Anya in a while, so I decided to let them at least make an appearance in this chapter:) Without further ado, here's chapter 11~!**

She was thrown roughly onto the icy floor. "Tsk tsk tsk. Poor girl... Too bad your little Raimundo isn't here to save you." Wuya taunted.

"Raimundo will come. He'll come and kick your sorry ass!"

"Don't lie to yourself. He won't be coming. Besides, even if comes, the one doing the ass kicking will be me." Wuya told her.

"In your dreams you ugly witch-" Kimiko retorted, but was interrupted when Wuya lit her foot on fire and kicked Kimiko hard in the stomach. She gasped, and curled into a ball, trying to suppress the pain.

Wuya grabbed Kimiko by the neck and held her above her head. "Listen here you little bitch, if you want to live, I suggest that you keep that smart mouth of yours shut." Then she slammed her onto the hard floor of the ice prison.

Wuya walked out of the icy cell and slammed the metal door shut. There was no way out. There was a small window on the door, but it was covered from the outside by a metal slider. The room was freezing. Little crystals of ice had formed on the walls and floor of the room.

Kimiko estimated the temperature of the room to be about 0°c. Being the dragon of fire, such conditions were torture to her. But at the same time, being a Xiaolin dragon meant that she did not have the luxury of dying so soon either.

She twisted her wrists, and felt the thick ropes rubbing against each other, and digging further into her skin. There was no way she could untie herself. The heylin made sure that her ice prison was completely empty, and the dagger that she usually hides in her shoe was confiscated by them too.

Kimiko sighed, closing her eyes, and forced herself to believe in the one single thought left in her head. 'Raimundo will come...'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He held a tray of food in his hand, and knocked on the wooden door in front of him.

"My friend, please open the door." No answer.

"Anya please, you must eat something!"

"Go away, Omi!" came her reply.

Omi did a fabulous impersonation of a puffer fish. His large head puffed up, turning a deep shade of angry red. "Raimundo has awakened, and is doing all he can to find their whereabouts, and you are just doing nothing! If you are not going to do anything, then just continue decomposing(rotting) away!" Omi shouted, losing his temper. He turned to leave, when suddenly he heard the door swing open, and felt someone lift him by his shirt.

"Raimundo's up? Has he figured out where they are?" Anya asked so quickly and anxiously that Omi had barely managed to understand her words.

"Not yet. He's been working on it for the past three hours though."

"Oh... I see..." Anya's anxious face changed back to a crestfallen one, and she let Omi back onto his feet. "I'll just be in my room."

She took the tray of food from him and retreated back into the little room that she had been in for the past few days. A click was heard when she locked the door, signalling that she did not want to be disturbed.

Omi sighed. Neither Raimundo nor Anya was taking the bad news very well. Anya had locked herself in her room ever since that night, and Raimundo had been discussing rescue plans and search parties with the elder monks since he woke up that morning, keeping himself busy to stop his vivid imaginations from running wild. Neither Carlos nor Kimiko would have been too happy to see them like this.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I think we should send ten monks to search the eastern mountain side over here." Raimundo suggested, pointing to a map which he had vandalised with red circles and crosses. Crosses indicated areas that have been searched, and circles for areas which the heylin could possibly be hiding their teammates.

He had called for a meeting with the elder monks and master fung, and they have been working non-stop for hours. Already, two groups of monks were searching the northern and southern forests.

Raimundo's wound screamed in protest, begging him to lie down and rest, but he ignored it. Right now, rescuing Kimiko and Carlos was his top priority.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a loud clang, and the door slid open. A strange man with white hair and red eyes walked into the ice prison with Wuya following closely behind. Looking up, Kimiko squinted her eyes in confusion.

"D-Draco?"

"Like my temporary body, Kimiko? I got it from a nearby village to the east." Draco said proudly.

Kimiko looked horrified. Draco had taken over the body of another, using a forbidden spell which saps the person off their life force. He was sacrificing an innocent life for a temporary body. Unable to move her hands to murder the cruel being before her, Kimiko glared daggers at him, and growled.

There was a moment of silence. Draco's face morphed from a look of amusement, to a look of disgust. "Why suffer here when you can spend the rest of eternity ruling the world by my side? Is the dragon of the wind really worth all this!" Draco questioned, as if what Kimiko was doing was ridiculous beyond belief.

"Yes." came her immediate answer, as she lifted her head to look Draco in the eye. Her reply was short, but filled with confidence.

He clenched his fists and grinded his teeth in anger. "Suit yourself." he growled, before turning to leave. Wuya flashed Kimiko a sadistic smirk before following suite.

As Wuya slammed the door behind her, Draco stopped in his tracks, catching her attention. He turned to look at her with a face filled with anger. "I don't care what methods you use, I want the dragon of fire on the heylin side. And if that doesn't work... Break her from the inside out..."

Wuya's lips curved into a twisted smile, and nodded. She was going to enjoy this...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We don't have much time until that body's life force runs out. We can't keep going out to get you a new body everyday."

"Then what do you suggest, Chase? The spell for a permanent take over still requires a few more days of preparation."

Chase pondered over that question for a moment, before an idea came to him. "The dragon of fire... We can use INSIGNIA. That way, you can feed on her life force until the spell is ready." Chase replied.

INSIGNIA is an ancient spell that allows the user to create a link between him and his victim. When the link is created, the user is able to transfer his victim's life force to himself, as well as a part of his victim's powers. Only a small amount of life force is transferred at a time in order to sustain the victim's life. The spell activates automatically 24 hours after its previous activation, however the user can activate the spell at any point of time he wishes to as well. The seal of INSIGNIA is marking of a black dragon on the left hand of both user and victim, but is only visible when the spell is activated. It is a form of black magic that has been announced illegal since Dashi's time.

An evil grin spread across Draco's face. Honestly, he would prefer not to risk killing his future queen, but he couldn't risk his host either. The dragon of fire will just have to do for now...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Still no sign of them?"

"No..."

Frustrated, Raimundo banged his fist against the table, gritting his teeth. Clay, who was reporting the search results, sat by Raimundo's hospital bedside. A week had passed since his best friend and girlfriend have gone missing, and despite all the search parties that they have sent out, there was still no sign of them.

The sudden ringing of his phone caught his attention, but right now, he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Clay picked up his leader's cell phone which was lying on the table. Flipping it open to look at the caller ID, Clay's eyes shot wide open. "Rai!"

Snatching his phone from Clay, Raimundo's annoyed expression changed to one of complete shock. Kimiko's name flashed on the caller ID. He quickly picked up the call. "Kim!"

"Ah Raimundo, how have you been?" came a voice that obviously did not belong to Kimiko.

"Wuya! Where's Kim!" Raimundo demanded.

"She's right here. Don't worry, she's not dead yet if that's what you're thinking." Wuya's cheerful tone changed to a dark growl. "For locking me in that wretched box, I'm going to make sure that your girlfriend here, gets a slow and painful death." Wuya's voice bore anger and hatred.

"This is between you and me! This has nothing to do with her, let her go!" Raimundo growled.

"You're not in the position to demand for anything now Raimundo, I-" Wuya said, but was interrupted by a sudden thud, and the sound of the phone dropping onto the floor was heard. Then here was a familiar voice.

"Rai! Draco wants Carlos as his host! You only have a few days before he-" Kimiko shouted into the receiver, but didn't manage to finish her sentence before she cried out in pain. A lot of struggling was heard over the phone, and then nothing...

The line was cut off.

As usual, Wuya came into her icy prison to taunt her. This time, she held Kimiko's phone in her hand, waving it in front of Kimiko, who was lying helplessly on the cold and icy floor.

"Let's give little Raimundo a little call, shall we?" Wuya said, knowing that this one phone call was all she needed to send Raimundo into a living hell. She pressed a few buttons on the phone before holding it up to her ear.

"Ah Raimundo, how have you been?" Wuya greeted, with a twisted smirk on her face.

Kimiko lay on the floor, unable to hear what Raimundo was saying on the other end of the phone call.

"She's right here. Don't worry, she's not dead yet if that's what you're thinking. For locking me in that wretched box, I'm going to make sure that your little girlfriend here, gets a slow and painful death."

Kimiko's eyes widened when a sudden realisation hit her. This could be her only chance to let her teammates know about their situation. No matter what, she needed to find a way to get that phone.

"You're not in the position to demand for anything now Raimundo, I-" Lying in her back, Kimiko raised both her legs, which were unfortunately still tied together, and delivered a very hard kick to Wuya's stomach. The impact made the witch drop the phone. Wuya was sent flying across the ice prison, and she slammed into a wall.

When the phone dropped near her head, Kimiko rolled to her side and shouted into the receiver. "Rai! Draco wants Carlos as his host! You only have a few days before he-"

Wuya got back onto her feet, and slammed the sole of her feet down onto Kimiko's ankle before she could finish her sentence. A loud sickening crack was heard, and Kimiko screamed in pain. She jolted her leg towards the left, tripping the witch. They struggled for a bit, one trying to grab the phone, and the other trying to kick it as far away as possible. Realising that this was a better option, Wuya crushed the phone under the sole of her bare feet, ending the phone call.

Wuya turned her head sharply to glare at the constant trouble maker. She stomped her foot down once again on Kimiko's already broken ankle. There was a loud crunching sound, and Kimiko screamed in agony. Grabbing a lock of her raven hair, Wuya yanked it, pulling Kimiko to sitting position, her face inches away from her own.

"You are going to regret that..." Wuya growled. Her anger was evident on her face, and in her tone. With a hard push, she shoved Kimiko back onto the floor.

She let out a soft whimper. Her lower lip quivered, and tears threatened to spill. Her fingers closed around the ropes binding her hands together, looking for something to hold onto like a lifeline. Fear gripped her heart. Wuya wasn't going to let her off easily.

_'Raimundo, I'm scared... Please hurry...'_

**And that's chapter 11:) The idea of the phone call was better in my head, but I just couldn't write it out as nicely as I planned:(( Please review! I really want to know what you guys think. Your opinions really matter to me, and it will mean a lot if you guys can drop a review._  
_**

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FAIR WARNING: I have the next chapter planned out in my head, and it might get a bit gory._**


	13. Chapter 12 Breakdown

**HEY ALL:D**  
**I've edited this chapter soooo many times because of the gore. My friend told me that I'll be pushing the rating if I put in too much, so I decided to hold back a little. BUT I did in fact promise to put in some gore, so I wrote some near the end of the chapter, so you guys will have to read the chapter to see the gore:P**  
**OK enough of the blabbering, ON WITH THE STORY~**

"Kim!? Kim! Kimiko!"

"Rai, stop it. That ain't gonna work."

Yelling at the top of his lungs in fury, Raimundo flung the cell phone in his hand across the room. It collided with the wall opposite of them, smashing into pieces. He slammed the back of his head into his pillow, lying on his bed in the infirmary. His yet-to-be-healed bullet wound sent surges of pain through his body, but like what he had been doing for the past few days, he ignored it. His right arm went to his face, covering his emerald eyes.

Clay stood by his bedside in silence. The pressure was high. According to Kimiko, they only had a few days left before Draco gets his new body. Everyone could see that Raimundo had been working hard, but that one phone call might have been enough to push him close to the point of breakdown.

'Carlos... Kim, I'm sorry... I can't do this, I shouldn't have been chosen as the Shoku warrior. I'm not strong enough...'

As if he had heard Raimundo's thoughts, Clay spoke in a firm and serious tone. "Rai, this ain't the time for your doubts. Right now, the world's in more danger than ever. You're the leader, Rai. We need you to be strong... Strong enough to lead us."

Raimundo took a few seconds of silence to think through those words. He clenched his fists, and removed his arm from his face, revealing his emerald orbs, sparkling with new resolve. "When's the group searching the northern plains leaving?"

"In an hour's time. Why?" There was a moment of silence, Raimundo brimming with anger and determination.

"Because I'm going with them..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even without struggling, the chains that bound his hands together had left cuts in his wrists. He had long lost his sense of time, and didn't know how long he had spent chained to the wall. All he knew was that it felt like an eternity to him.

Carlos let his mind wander. He thought of how Anya was doing. He wondered if Raimundo was okay after taking that gunshot. Kimiko's unknown whereabouts came to mind as well, but he found no answer to that.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the barrier sealing his cell was suddenly dispelled. Two of Chase's servants came and unchained him from the wall, before putting his hands back in shackles behind his back. Then they dragged him out of his cell.

They arrived at the huge and empty room that they had brought him and Kimiko to previously. In the centre of the room, was a huge magic circle, and Kimiko was knelt down in the middle of it.

Carlos struggled against the servants holding him back, and called out to her. "Kim!"

Hearing a familiar voice calling her, Kimiko turned her head sharply to look at Carlos. Her sapphire eyes were wide open with fear.

"Carlos! Carlos help!" Hearing her scream for help, he struggled to free himself to go to her aid, but was stopped by a cold voice.

"Carlos, how nice of you to stop by. We were just about to start the ritual." Chase greeted. Carlos's face portrayed clear confusion, but no one bothered to clarify. The two servants by his side forced him to his knees, holing him down.

Draco took his position in the middle of the circle with Kimiko. "If I can't have you by my side, then I'll just have your life force be the one that keeps me alive. In the meantime..." Draco crouched down, grabbed her by her jaw line, bringing her face mere inches away from his own.

"Feel free to scream all you like." Draco whispered to her, wearing a sadistic grin. As he moved to stand, his attention was drawn to her blue eyes. Those sapphire eyes which reflected the uncontrollable fear within her.

Chase, who was standing a few metres away from the circumference of the circle, chanted a few lines of an ancient language. The magic circle glowed a bright red. Black volts of electricity sparked through the edges of the circle, creating a barrier around them. The electricity travelled upwards, and gathered a few metres above the centre of the magic circle.

Kimiko's eyes darted from side to side, watching the black electricity crackle. Looking up, she saw the electricity being compressed into a tight ball above her head. The ball of electricity split into two beams of lightning which struck both parties within the circle.

Kimiko screamed in agony as the lightning zapped through her entire body. It felt like a thousand needles piercing right through her. She fell flat on the ground squirming, and then curled into a little ball on the floor, her hands still tied behind her back.

She tried her best to suppress her screams, biting hard on her lower lip, drawing blood. She whimpered in pain and continued to struggle against her bonds.

Draco was unaffected by the electricity. He laughed menacingly, feeling the energy coursing through his very being.

Kimiko felt an acute pain in her left arm, even stronger than the pain that she felt throughout her entire body. As if an invisible knife was cutting into her skin, a slash appeared on her arm. Blood seeped through the wound, as it continued to lengthen. The invisible knife was slowly carving the shape of a dragon on her arm. The wound turned black, and she could see the black dragon through her teary eyes. The mark of INSIGNIA had formed on both their left arms, indicating that the link between them had been made. And as quickly as the mark appeared, it vanished.

Even as the pain dissipated, Kimiko stayed curled up in a ball, taking in deep and ragged breaths. Her eyes were wide open, fear and shock reflecting off her sapphire orbs. Sparks of electricity continued to zap through her already numb body, occasionally inflicting pain. She felt weak. Tears had slipped from her eyes and left a trail down her porcelain face.

Draco lifted a hand. Setting it on fire, he watched as the orange flames danced on his fingertips. He could feel warmth radiating from the fire, but it didn't burn him. The spell had successfully transferred part of Kimiko's life force and elemental control to him.

As the ritual ended, Carlos was forced back to his feet by the two servants that were previously holding him down. As he was dragged unceremoniously out of the room, he saw Kimiko from the corner of his eye, being hoisted onto the shoulder of one of Chase's servants, yet she remained unmoving.

Feeling the weakness in her rising, she knew one thing for sure. She will no longer be able to survive in that icy cell without her element of fire. Every second she spends in the cell will only bring her closer to totally freezing over. If the monks were going to rescue them, they better do it soon, before she freezes to death.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Raimundo please, you should be resting!" Omi begged, grabbing Raimundo by the leg.

Despite Omi's pleading, Raimundo pushed forward, dragging Omi on the floor. However, Omi refused to release his leg. Raimundo marched to the training field where everyone was gathered.

"Don't try to stop me! I'm gonna save Kim and Carlos, even if that's the last thing I ever do!" Raimundo held Omi by the head, and yanked his foot out of the little monk's grasp.

Exiting the shelter of the temple roof for the first time in days, he was temporarily blinded by the rays of sunlight. There was suddenly hushed silence. Everyone had turned their attention to their young 19-year-old shoku warrior, awaiting orders.

With master Fung by his side, Raimundo stood proud in his Shoku robes, scanning his surroundings. Looking at the monks who were tirelessly working hard to find their missing teammates, Raimundo realised for the first time how much he really missed them. His best friend and the girl he loved. Both were people closest to him. Chase may have succeeded in freeing Draco, but he will not succeed in harming his teammates.

Suddenly, the loud thumping of footsteps could be heard. Turning around, Raimundo saw Clay running over, with a look of panic on his face.

"What's wrong?" Raimundo questioned the flustered cowboy.

"Master Ying and Master Yan have gone missing!"

"What!?"

Dojo popped out from under Clay's hat, looking distressed. "And... there's something you need to see..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raimundo followed closely behind Clay, as they came to a stop in front of the training hall. The doors were closed, concealing the horror inside.

"Here's where they were last seen... You might wanna prepare yourself for what's inside." Clay warned. Taking a deep breath, Raimundo pushed the doors open. Immediately, he was greeted with a horrid smell. The smell of blood...

His jaw dropped. The training room was a mess. The entire place was strewn with evidence that a fight had broken out. Shattered glass pieces and broken chairs littered the area. But there was something that had caught his attention even more. The words written on the walls in blood...

'I will slowly take away what's precious to you, and watch you suffer a life worse than death  
-Wuya'

It was clear who those words were for. Nobody needed to say it, they were meant for him.

He could feel his anger rising. Obviously, Wuya hadn't used her own blood to write this message. "Whose blood is this?" he asked in a low and dark tone.

Silence... No one dared to answer.

"Whose is it!?" Raimundo demanded.

"It's Kimiko's isn't it?" The voice had obviously came from a female. Turning around, Raimundo saw Anya standing by the open doors of the training hall. He then looked at Dojo, waiting for a confirmation.

Lowering his head, Dojo nodded.

His heart sank. In a state of shock, Raimundo let his legs carry him over to the wall that was stained with the blood of his lover.

By then, Omi had arrived at the scene. He gasped in horror; his onyx eyes wide open in shock, but said nothing.

Unknowingly, Raimundo's hand slowly reached out to touch the wall. As it glided over the smooth surface, the blood that made up the words of Wuya's frightening message was smeared underneath his fingertips.

"There's so much blood..." The words had unknowingly slipped off her tongue. Anya regretted saying that almost immediately after seeing the look on Raimundo's face when he heard that comment.

"Master fung, you don't think that she's... dead... do you?" Raimundo, asked in a hoarse and cracking voice, his eyes never leaving the bloodstained wall.

"I'm afraid I am unable to rule out that possibility." was the master's dreaded reply.

The hand that ruined the bloody handwriting clenched into a tight fist. His short nails cut into his skin, and blood spilt out of the inflicted wounds. His blood mixed with Kimiko's and ran down the wall. His hand, along with his breaking heart felt numb. Images of Kimiko flashed through his mind. About a week ago, he couldn't imagine life without her, and now he had to deal with the possibility of her death.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. With his eyes, he traced the hand back to its owner, who was towering over him due to him large cowboy size.

"What do you want us to do now, leader?"

Raimundo felt hatred surge through him. Hatred that consisted anger and thirst for revenge. The pain that Wuya had inflicted upon his loved one today will be returned to her. Tenfold...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bursting into the ice prison, Wuya's face portrayed a look of amusement and let out a cynical laugh. "You should have seen what I did! I can just imagine the look on poor Raimundo's face when he sees what i did with your blood!"

Kimiko didn't answer. She just lay unmoving on the icy floor with a tear streaked face. Having Draco sap the life out of her had weakened her tremendously, and she was suffering due to the amount of blood that she had lost. She was humiliated, terrified and no longer had the heart to fight on. Her eyes were blank, and so was her mind. She was just waiting... Waiting for her time to be up so that she could just die. Put an end to her suffering.

Many deep cuts and wounds ran through her arms and legs. A knife was stabbed right through her right thigh, and her face bore deep cuts. Hideous cuts that were never going to heal. Even if they did, the ugly scars will never fade...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FLASHBACK

Once again, she dug her knife into the flesh of her prisoner, watching as she gasped in pain. Slowly, she dragged the knife along the wound, widening it, and letting the blade sink deeper into her prisoner's flesh.

Kimiko bit her lower lip, trying to stop the continuous tears flowing down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, willing for her suffering to come to an end. With the numerous wide and deep cuts decorating her, her bloodied up body was reaching its limit. She didn't have the strength to resist, much less fight back.

Wuya felt a pint of joy watching her suffer. Kimiko's suffering eased her thirst for revenge on Raimundo a little, but wasn't enough to satisfy it.

Grabbing her prisoner by the neck, she flung her across the room. Upon impact, Kimiko felt pain spread through her already wounded body. Immediately after that, she felt Wuya's cold thin fingers wrapping around her throat once more, pulling her up to a sitting position. Wuya then grabbed her jaw line roughly, holding it in place. Kimiko tried to rip her head out of Wuya's grasp, but the witch only tightened her grip, digging her nails into her skin.

Jack, who had been forced to watch everything, stood in the corner of the ice prison. Scanning Kimiko's wounded form, he winced. He never wanted to be in any part of this. Sure, he wanted to rule the world alongside the heylin lords, but not like this. Not when he had to see anyone tortured so badly...

"I see why both Draco and Raimundo have taken an interest in you. It would be a shame to ruin such a pretty face." Wuya said, sliding the flat portion of the blade over Kimiko's face. Kimiko trembled in fear. She closed her eyes, chewing on her lower lip.

"I wonder... will your dear Raimundo still love you as much as he does, if I messed up that face of yours?" Wuya sneered, an idea forming in her twisted mind.

"NO! NO PLEASE! DON'T DO IT!" Kimiko begged for mercy. After tolerating hours of torture, the only part of her that remained unscathed was her face.

Anything but her face...

"Only one way to find out." Wuya said in a sing-song voice. "Jack, come here. Let's play a little game of tick-tack-toe, shall we?"

Unwillingly, Jack slowly made his way over. He watched as Wuya slammed the right side of Kimiko's face against the icy wall, exposing the left. Wuya's hand held her jaw line, and her fingers went under Kimiko's chin, tilting it upwards slightly, holding it in place. Kimiko could feel her head brain pounding in her skull, and warm blood trickled down the right side of Kimiko's face upon impact.

Tossing the dagger over to Jack, Wuya spoke in a cynical voice, "You go first, Jack."

He hesitated, watching the tears spill from the corner of her sapphire eyes and hearing her screaming her desperate pleas.

"Jack, please! Don't do it!"

His cold expression softened. He couldn't do it... As he was about to return the dagger to Wuya, images of his past defeats flashed through his mind. How the Xiaolin warriors repeatedly foiled his plans, and how they usually humiliated him. His expression grew dark. As he was consumed by hatred, he held the hilt of the dagger tightly in his hand.

No more will he be a coward. This was his chance to return the humiliation that they have caused him. Approaching the wailing girl, who had begun to struggle fruitlessly, he bent down, and sunk the tip of the blade deep into the flesh of her cheek, drawing a straight line across. Then, he drew one more horizontal line, and two vertical lines. The four lines formed the shape of a hash, representing the boarders of the game.

Wuya watched, a smirk plastered on her face, and a hand keeping the right side of Kimiko's face against the wall. For once, Jack wasn't acting like a coward. For that, she was proud. She watched as Jack made the first move, cutting a cross in the centre of the hash.

Kimiko bawled her eyes out, screaming and struggling as she felt pain exploding from the cuts on her face. Her tears mixed with her blood, flowing down her once flawless face, dripping onto the icy floor. Never in her life had she felt such endless pain and humiliation. They were playing a game on her face, using it like a sheet of paper. She continued to beg desperately for them to stop. This only made it more fun for Wuya to watch. She was enjoying this. Thoroughly...

Wuya drew a circle on the hash, before passing the dagger back to Jack. Crosses and circles continued to accumulate on the hash, until there were three crosses aligned. With the same twisted smile that Wuya was wearing, Jack drew a straight line diagonally across the hash, connecting the crosses together. "I win."

Looking at the pained expression on Kimiko's face, Wuya let out a sadistic laugh, releasing her grip on Kimiko's jaw line. As she did so, Kimiko slid back to floor, weeping.

"That was fun, wasn't it Jack?" Wuya asked a rhetorical question. Then suddenly, her twisted smile widened. Her mind was conjuring up another cynical idea. For that idea to work, she would first need blood. Not just any blood, the blood of the Shoku warrior's lover.

Taking the knife from Jack, she used her black magic to create a vile in her hand. Using her powers, Wuya lifted her hand above her head, and Kimiko was pulled up by an invisible force, levitating her off the ground. With the knife, Wuya stabbed it right through the dragon of fire's right thigh, receiving a satisfying shriek. As the blood flowed freely down the blade, she used the vile to collect the droplets of blood that fell from its tip. Slowly, the vile was filled to the brim by her blood.

Her plan was simple. Just go to the temple and give young Raimundo a little scare, and at the same time, move the temple into a state of panic.

'I can be such a genius sometimes.' Wuya mentally flattered herself.

As Wuya's cynical laughter came to an end, she spoke. "Oh, I almost forgot. I have a little present for you." Turning towards the door, she barked her orders. "Bring them in!"

Two elder men were shoved into the icy prison, hands tied behind their backs. They took a second to survey their surroundings, before they laid eyes on the young monk.

"Kimiko!"

Lifting her head in response, her eyes widened.

'No! They shouldn't be here!' She opened her mouth to shout for them to run, to escape, but only a hoarse and weak voice came out. "M-master Ying... Mas-ter Y-yan..."

Looking at her bloodied state, Master Ying could tell that the dragon of fire was at her limit. "Young monk, no matter what happens, you need to keep fighting! No matter what the heylin have to say, just remember that our Shoku wa-"

He never got to finish his sentence...

Everything happened in slow motion... Kimiko watched in horror as Wuya encased her nails with her black magic. She could hear her own heart thumping in her chest. The densely packed magic sheared through the neck of Master Ying, severing the entire head from his body. The headless corpse flopped to the ground, blood spurting out of the jugular artery as Master Ying's heart gave its final squirts. His head lay metres away, still gushing blood.

Knowing that he was going to be next, Master Yan finished the other elder monk's sentence. "Our Shoku warrior hasn't given up on you! So don't you give up on him!"

He just got to finish his sentence, when Wuya's fingertips abruptly emerged from his chest. The witch had skewered her hand through his body from behind, puncturing his heart. His vision blurred. This was it, he wasn't going to make it. Seeing the dragon of fire staring at him wide-eyed with terror and fear, he mouthed his last words to her. "Stay strong..."

With that, Master Yan's eyes rolled backwards, and his eyelids closed. His lifeless body crumpled to the floor. Master Ying's decapitated head lying a metre away from his body.

Wuya, whose hand was coated with her victims' blood, let out a loud evil cackle. This was too good. The look of complete horror and petrifying fear on Kimiko's face was priceless. She continued her satisfied laughter, exiting the room. Jack followed closely behind with a cold expression, slamming the door shut behind him.

Kimiko's vision was blurred by tears. Her heart seemed to have temporarily halted along with time, her already broken soul receiving yet another severe blow.

Blood stained the walls and floors of her prison cell. She was also covered in blood. Her own blood, and the blood of her masters. Her wide eyes fixed on the two corpses before her.

Never in her life, had she seen so much blood... The brutal and inhuman methods of killing demonstrated moments ago pushed her mind closer to the point of insanity.

As reality caught up to her, so did the enormous blow to her mental state. Unable to hold back her surge of emotions, she screamed at the top of her lungs. "NOOOOOO!"

**This is the longest chapter I've written so far:D  
(To guest reviewer)Sorry that I couldn't put this up by monday though. **  
**The title of the next chapter is 'Rescue'. Does that give you guys an idea of what's gonna happen?:) Anyways, please tell me what you guys think, please R&R~**


	14. Chapter 13 Rescue

**HEY ALL:D**  
**This the last chapter in this icy prison:) Hope you guys enjoy it~!**

Exiting the ice prison, Jack heard a loud and high pitched scream coming from inside, followed by shrieks and loud wailing. He tried to hold onto the cold expression on his face. Images of Kimiko suffering and crying replayed in his mind. He was hit by a pang of guilt, and regret spread through him. It was that moment of anger that brought upon his hunger for revenge and payback. He never meant to cause such harm to anyone.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, the guilt in him took over. Jack soon found himself standing before the door of the ice prison. His fingers found their way to the handle of a slider on the door. Sliding it to the left, it revealed a little window, from which he could have a clear view of what was inside the cell.

He could clearly see the deep cuts on every part of her exposed skin, and the dagger was still firmly implanted into her right leg. Her face was tear streaked, and her eyes were wide open. Her once magnificent sapphire eyes have lost their former sparkle. Now, they were dull and blank. She looked like a whole different person, not the Kimiko that he saw during showdowns. She looked weak, vulnerable, defeated...

A nagging feeling aroused in him, telling him to help. Telling him that a place on the heylin side wasn't his calling. Yet, his rational mind told him otherwise. He had pit himself against the Xiaolin so many times. Causing trouble was the only thing he ever did. He had done too much wrong. Even if he had wished to help, they were never going to accept it. Besides, the heylin weren't going to let him off as a traitor easily.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw a sudden glow on Kimiko's left arm. He watched as her face contorted in pain, and she curled into a ball with her hands still behind her back. He could hear her screaming from the other side of the closed door. A marking of a black dragon appeared on her skin, the intensity of black darkening as the seconds passed. Then, it disappeared, along with its glow.

Kimiko took shallow breaths, creating clouds of water vapour in the freezing air around her. She looked on the brink of losing consciousness. Unable to standby and watch her suffer, he unlocked the heavy metal door, and ran to her side. Kneeling down beside her weakened self, he examined her closely. Her body was bloodstained, and was shivering uncontrollably. Looking down, the dagger sticking out of her thigh caught his attention. Her thigh was swollen, and red streaks were radiating from the wound to her surrounding skin. The blade had to be removed. He positioned both his hands on the handle. Kimiko's eyes widened in fear again, thinking that he was here to inflict another round of torture, but was too weak to speak.

Mentally counting to three, he yanked the blade out, earning a gasp of pain from Kimiko. The tissue underneath her skin was inflamed. Ripping a part of his own clothing, he tied it around her open wound. As his hand came in contact with her skin, he flinched. Her skin was as cold as ice. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to survive for long.

His mind was made up. It didn't matter if the Xiaolin didn't trust him. Honestly, getting away from the inhumanity of the heylin wasn't a bad idea either. Whatever the reason, he had decided. He was going to save this girl.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dummy was cut up into bits by the sharp blades of wind that was blown in that direction. The one who summoned that gust of wind straightened up, looking satisfied with his results. He looked up and watched as each of his teammates practiced their elemental abilities.

After the bloody incident, master fung had advice for them not to go with the search parties, but stay behind to train.

Suddenly, a dimensional rip appeared in thin air, catching everyone's attention. A red haired individual leapt out of the rip and it closed behind him. On his right hand, was the golden tiger claws.

Everyone recognised his face the second they saw him. Without hesitation, Raimundo charged towards Jack, knocking him over. Raising his fist, Raimundo brought it down, ready deliver a blow to his head.

"Kimiko's dying!" Jack shouted, not even attempting to block the attack. His eyes reflected pure determination.

Raimundo's fist froze inches away from the red hair's face, waiting for him to continue. He tried to keep a calm expression, but his face betrayed him, portraying the worry that resided in him.

"She needs your help now. If you don't hurry, she'll die."

Sceptical, Raimundo questioned him. "How do we know we can trust you?"

"Because I'm the only lead you have."

Raimundo's angry features softened. As much as he hated to admit it, Jack was right. He was their only lead. They had to trust him.

"What about Carlos?" Anya questioned anxiously, chewing her lower lip.

"He's there too. But they're saving him for later, so he's not in any danger YET." Jack replied, emphasising on his last word.

Chubby fingers curled around Jack's collar, lifting him up. Towering over the Jack with a furious look on his face, was Clay.

"Why would you help us?" Clay growled, his eyes fixed on Jack's.

"I've seen what they've been doing! They're killing without batting an eyelid, and torturing for the joy of it! I never wanted for this to happen, I want to help. I want this to end!" Jack shouted, getting agitated.

"Clay, we have to trust him. As dishonourable as he has been, he is the only one who can help us." Omi said, placing a hand on Clay's shoulder, urging him to put the boy down. Hearing his teammates agree to accept Jack's help, he abruptly dropped the red haired, and bent down to his level, pointing an accusing finger.

"If you even THINK of betrayin' us, I wont hesitate to break you neck, got that?" Clay threatened, in a low and dark tone, to which Jack nodded bravely to.

"Where are they? Are they okay?" Anya questioned, worry evident in her voice.

Pretending not to hear the second question, Jack answered the first. "They're hidden somewhere in the northern forest."

His answer sparked distrust in the leader. Raimundo growled. "What are you playing at? We've searched the northern forest, and found no-"

"Did you search underground?" Jack interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

There was a moment of silence. None of them had even thought of that.

Then, Raimundo spoke. "Take us to them."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A dimensional rip appeared, and five figures climbed out of it, the Brazilian holding onto the golden tiger claws.

"Carlos is that way. Two corridors down, sixth door to your left." Jack pointed a finger to his right. Immediately, Anya sprinted off in that direction, leaving the others behind.

"Clay, Omi, follow her. I'm gonna find Kim." Raimundo instructed. The two monks nodded, running after their female teammate.

Stowing away the claws, Raimundo turned to face his new comrade. "Let's go."

Nodding, Jack sped off in the opposite direction, with Raimundo closely behind.

Raimundo noticed the air around him getting colder as they ran deeper underground. The air was stale, and the oxygen concentration was low. They soon came to a large metal door. Jack unlocked it, swinging it open.

They were greeted by a blast of freezing air and the stench of blood, enough to send nausea pulsing through their body. Raimundo took slow steps into the cell, horrified at the sight before him. His eyes were fixed on the amount of blood on the walls and floor.

Taking one slow step at the time, he proceeded further into the cell, his eyes never leaving the splattered blots of dried blood. As his left leg moved to make another step, he felt something underneath his half-raised foot. Taking a step back, he was startled by the sight of a corpse lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. He crouched down, and wiped the blood of its face with the sleeve of his shoku robes, revealing its identity. His eyes widened. It was Master Yan...

Looking up, he saw a decapitated head on the floor before him. Blots of splattered blood had dried on it's face, and his glazed eye were wide open. He felt his throat tighten, and resisted the urge to throw up. Slowly getting to his feet, he approached the detached head. His shaky hands closed around its cheeks. Lifting the head up with trembling fingers, Raimundo identified its owner. Master Ying...

With the discovery of two dead masters, the fear within him grew. He whipped his head up, scanning the icy prison, and found what he was looking for. Sprawled in a corner, was Kimiko, unconscious.

Putting Master Ying down, he bolted towards her, faster than he had ever ran, almost tripping over his own leg. He collapsed to his knees by her side, bringing her into his arms. Crystals of ice had formed on her skin. Her hair was hopelessly tangled, and drenched in blood, clinging to her skin. It was obvious that she had been crying. There was a trail of frozen ice running down her face. She seemed paler, thinner, but still breathing.

"Kim!" He tried to shake her awake, but it didn't work. She didn't stir. Her head involuntarily turned to the right, revealing the deep cuts on her face. Raimundo's thumb went on to sweep over the cuts, breaking away the frozen droplets of tears that had formed on them. His facial expression morphed into one of absolute fury. Not only have the heylin killed their masters, they have also tortured the dragon of fire. They were going to pay...

Drawing a dagger that he had concealed in his left sneaker, he cut through the ropes that bound her. Then, with the help of Jack, they mounted her carefully onto his back.

Kimiko's head was leant against his right shoulder. With her face inches away from his own, he could feel her shallow and ragged breaths on the bare skin of his neck. He felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart, but was nevertheless, relieved. She was alive. She had suffered so much in the past few days. Seeing her so weak, pained him.

"Well, well, well... If it isn't Raimundo." they heard a female voice from behind. Turning around, they came face to face with Wuya, who was standing by the metal door.

Her mouth had formed a frown, and her eyes were fixed on Jack's. "I've never expected this from you..."

Raimundo cursed under his breath. The plan was to sneak in, get their captured teammates, and leave without being noticed. Things just got a whole lot harder.

"Step aside, Wuya." Jack ordered, taking a step forward.

Standing her ground, Wuya growled. "Or what?"

Moving quickly, Jack aimed a punch at her face, but she blocked it with her forearm. Jack did a flip, slamming his foot into her stomach, sending her flying two metres backwards.

Raimundo stared in shock. The Jack he knew didn't know how to fight, but the boy before him was fighting like a trained warrior. Sensing Raimundo's shock, Jack smirked. "You didn't think I spent the last year doing nothing, did you? I've been training hard under Chase." he said with pride, never taking his eyes off the witch.

Normally, Raimundo would have joined in the fight, but he couldn't risk injuring Kimiko any further, and with her on his back, his movements will be slowed down.

Wuya got up, charging towards the traitor with her nails encased in black magic.

Jack felt sick. That was the same magic that she had used to brutally murder the two masters.

Wuya lunged forward, swiping her encased nails at Jack. He managed to block her first strike, but wasn't quick enough to block the second. The next thing he knew, pain exploded through his entire body. Her nails had pierced straight through his stomach. He coughed up blood, and his vision went in and out of focus. Grabbing Wuya's wrists with his hands, he pushed her backwards, ramming her into a wall. His hands still held tightly onto her wrists, restricting her movement.

Not turning to face his newly found allies, Jack shouted. "GO!"

Staring in shock at the person whom he had once called his enemy, Raimundo hesitated. He couldn't just leave him here to die.

Sensing his hesitance, Jack shouted at him once more. "What are you doing!? GO!"

Resisting the urge to help, Raimundo turned and ran towards the metal door, carrying Kimiko on his back. But as he exited the cell that housed the deaths of so many, he glanced behind his shoulders to take one last look at their saviour.

_'Thank you, Jack...'_

Back facing Raimundo, Jack didn't manage to see the look of gratitude on the Shoku warrior's face. As he heard Raimundo's footsteps fading away, a genuine smile graced his lips. For the first time in years, Jack felt free. No longer bound by guilt and the foolish dream of being something he was not. He knew from the start that he was never meant to be evil, but yet he clung onto the hope of one day ruling the world.

_'What would it have been like if I were on the Xiaolin side? Would the present have been different? Guess I'll never get to find out... But at least I know that I no longer have any regrets...'_

He closed his eyes. Raimundo's fading footsteps softened with every passing second, then silence... He slowly released his grip on Wuya's wrists, resigning to fate. Feeling his grip weaken, Wuya withdrew her hand, yanking it out of Jack's body, watching his blood splatter.

Death was approaching... But he wasn't afraid. Not anymore...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charging at Chase, he tried once again to land a hit on the heylin lord with his rock encased fist.

Chase had already managed to knock out Omi and Anya, leaving Clay to fight alone. Clay's rock arm came close to landing a hit, but the heylin lord side stepped the attack at the last moment.

"Powerful attacks don't mean anything if they don't hit your target." he taunted.

Clay growled, slamming his foot down onto the ground. Spiked pillars rose from the ground, each aiming to pierce the heylin lord through his black heart.

Chase smirked. The dragon of the earth was stronger than he thought.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was getting impatient. Wuya was supposed to be here quite a while ago. Chained to the wall beside him, was Carlos, who could hear the fight happening outside his cell.

Then, with a green puff of smoke, Wuya appeared. Her body was covered in fresh blood, and she wore a sickening smirk.

"What took you so long?" Draco questioned.

"I had to get rid of a certain... pest." Wuya spat the last word in disgust.

"Whatever. Let's go. We're just going to take him." Draco turned to face Carlos, who understood what they were about to do. '

'No! They're so close!' Carlos started to struggle, tugging hard against his shackles. His friends were just outside that door. His freedom was so close.

Wuya quickly summoned a cloud of green smoke, which spread outwards, encasing the three in the room. She teleported them to another location. Somewhere far away. Somewhere out of the reach of the monks, smashing Carlos's hopes of escape.

Sensing his allies' presence fading, he knew his job was done. Chase jumped backwards, creating distance between his opponent and himself.

"Until next time, dragon of the earth." In the blink of an eye, he was gone...

Remembering what he had came here to do, Clay ran towards the door. It swung open, and he rushed inside. He could sense traces of a magic barrier, but there was nothing else. No one was here...

He heard the sound of light footsteps, which unmistakably belonged to Raimundo, who was still carrying Kimiko on his back. Clay hung his head in shame, not turning to face his leader.

"We failed... They escaped..."

**That's chapter 13:) **  
**I let Jack have a bit of the limelight in this chapter before killing him off. I think I'm having too many characters, so I decided to reduce the number. Next chapter will have Raikim moment:) Raikim fans, please look forward to it:)**


	15. Chapter 14 The calm before the storm

**HEY ALL:D**  
**Thanks for all the reviews! Here's chapter 14~ Its pretty short, but I'll put up the next chapter in the next three days to make up for it:)**

Her world was a blur…

Her entire body was numb, and she was shivering uncontrollably. Kimiko struggled to breathe, taking raspy breaths. From time to time, her vision would come into focus, and the faraway voices would become clear to her. However, those short moments weren't enough for Kimiko to register what was happening around her. All she knew was that one moment, she was being carried by strong arms and the next, an oxygen mask was cupping her nose and mouth, aiding her breathing. After that, she blacked out.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feeling a burning sensation throughout her body, Kimiko started to regain consciousness. Her eyes slowly opened, but her vision was hazy. She could feel the soreness of her weakened body, and the numbness in her limbs. As her vision went back to focus, she scanned her surroundings, confused.

'This is... the infirmary. But how did I…'

Blurry visions and faraway voices flashed in her head as she tried to recall what happened. This only made her even more confused than before. However, there was one thing that managed to click in her head. Raimundo's face. She remembered having his warm hands cupping her cheeks, and his face inches away from hers. She remembered him calling out to her, ordering her not to slip out of consciousness.

Her lips curved into a gentle smile. He had saved her yet again.

Unknowingly, her hand moved to touch the spot where the feeling of his warm hands still lingered. Her fingertips brushed against something soft, but it wasn't skin. Her eyes widened, and her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. With her other hand, she pulled off the thick blanket. She slowly sat upright, feeling the pain of her multiple deep cuts shoot through her body. Placing her entire palm over her cheek, she felt the soft material that rested between her cheek and palm.

Swinging her legs off the corner of her bed, Kimiko proceeded to stand. As she applied pressure to her right leg, the wound on her right thigh reopened, soaking the bandage with her blood. She gasped in pain, and held onto the bedside table for support. Carefully, she limped over to the full-length mirror, which was nailed to the wall near the window.

For the first time since she was captured, she took a look at herself. Apart from her sapphire eyes, she couldn't recognise a single feature in her reflection as her own. Her hair was badly tangled, and a large portion of her body was wrapped in bandages. Large bruises covered her neck all the way up to her jaw line, and her entire left cheek was hidden underneath a large plaster.

Memories of her time with the heylin replayed in her mind. It was like watching herself being tortured all over again from a third-party's view. She could still feel the result of being slammed into walls and picked up by the neck.

As she recalled how Wuya and Jack had conspired to cut up her face, her fingertips slid to the corner of the plaster. Using whatever remained of her once beautifully manicured nails, Kimiko slowly peeled of the dressing.

She stared in horror at the ugly cuts on her face. The plaster that once concealed them fell off her fingers, and onto the ground. She ran her fingers over the cuts in disbelief.

Humiliation. She felt so humiliated. These cuts will become scars that will never fade. For the rest of her life, she was going to have to live with those ugly scars on her face.

Wuya's words rang in her head "Will your dear Raimundo still love you as much as he does, if I messed up that face of yours?"

Tears welled up in her sapphire eyes, clouding her vision. Unable to curb her surge of emotions, she sobbed, letting the tears flow freely down her face. "Raimundo..."

Taking one more look in the mirror, she saw her own reflection morph into the form of the person whom she was so afraid to see, Wuya. Fear took over, and she let out a high pitched scream. Her hand balled into a tight fist and flew straight for the mirror, which smashed into bits upon impact. Large shards cut deeply into her skin, and blood flowed freely from the wounds. Raising her fist once more, she brought it down again. However, she was stopped by a pair of strong hands, which gripped tightly to her wrists.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raimundo had sprinted straight for the infirmary upon hearing her loud screams. He burst into the ward just in time to see Kimiko smash the mirror before her into pieces.

As she raised her fists once more to deliver a second attack, he reached forward from behind, grabbing her wrists. Without thinking, he brought her into a tight embrace from behind. His hands maintained their tight grip on her wrists, holding them close to her petite body, as blood flowed from her cuts and onto his hands. Her back was against his chest, and the crown of her head was under his chin. Her body stiffened upon contact, and she remained unmoving.

Completely taken aback, Kimiko only managed to utter his name "Raimundo..."

Releasing her wrists, he held her shoulders, turning her to face him. He stared into her eyes, which reflected the fear within her. He couldn't believe it. After so many days, she was back in his arms. Although traumatized, at least she was safe. "Kim, what's wrong?"

Hearing his soothing voice once again, she burst into tears, wrapping her arms around his well-toned body, and burying her head into his chest. "Raimundo!"

Raimundo wrapped one arm around her, and the other went on to gently stroke her head. "I'm right here. Don't worry, you're safe now."

"W-Wuya she's here!"

"Wuya's not here Kim, she-"

"NO! She's here! I saw her! M-My reflection-" Kimiko was getting agitated, and stopped listening to reason. He couldn't blame her. After all that she's been through, it was only natural that she would be so frightened.

Raimundo tightened the embrace, bringing her closer to him. The embrace brought warmth and security to Kimiko. She felt the heat of his body slowly spread through hers, and she calmed down. Her wailing reduced to sobs, and her shouting became barely louder than a whisper. "She was here..."

Scooping her into his arms, he carried Kimiko back to her bed. As Raimundo was pulling the covers over her, she suddenly remembered something. Her eyes snapped wide open.

"Raimundo, how's Carlos!?"

Upon hearing that question, Raimundo cringed. Guilt welled up inside of him and he struggled to find the words to say. "We... didn't manage to rescue him. They fled before we got there..."

Looking into her worried eyes, Raimundo hesitated to continue. "I'll tell you the details some other time okay? Your body is still cold. You're tired, go to sleep."

"But-"

"Please..." Raimundo begged, placing a warm hand on her forehead. Kimiko knew that the guilt of being unable to save his best friend was eating at him. Complying, she closed her eyes, and felt sleep come over her.

As her breathing became slow and steady, Raimundo got up from his seat. He gazed at the girl sleeping soundly on the bed. She looked so peaceful, so innocent in her sleep. His attention moved to the cuts on her face. Honestly, it wouldn't have mattered to him even if her entire face was covered in scars, to him, she'd still be the most beautiful being on the planet. But in truth, the scars did not do much to wreck the Japanese's unmatched beauty.

Gently, he swept Kimiko's long bangs out of her eyes, and planted a kiss on her forehead, before he quietly slipped out of the ward.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Finally... After so much preparation, it is finally time." Chase announced.

Wuya's eyes glowed a bright green, and a magic circle appeared underneath Draco and Carlos. The circle was black, and looked similar to the one they had used to conduct INSIGNIA, but this one had more complex designs, and the wordings on it were clearly of a different ancient language.

Even without his hands bound, Carlos knew that resistance was futile. In the presence of three heylin lords, escape was impossible. He merely stood before Draco, glaring at him in hatred. "You'll never get away with this..."

A cocky smile spread across the Heylin lord's face. "We'll see..."

In his ghostly form, Draco lifted himself off the ground, and flew straight for the dragon of darkness. Carlos stood his ground, unafraid.

There was a blinding white light upon contact.

His world tilted. Spasms seized Carlos's body as he doubled over, heads in hands as he groaned in agony. With every beat of his heart, acute pain lanced throughout his body. Darkness ate at him as something, something ancient and unnatural, occupied most of his brain capacity. Carlos's hair turned white, and his eyes were no longer the same warm red eyes that he once had. They were a bright red, which glowed in the dark like Draco's.

The link created by INSIGNIA was broken. In its place, was the merging of the soul of a demon, and the body of a Xiaolin dragon.

Forcing Carlos's consciousness to a remote corner of his mind, Draco flexed the fingers of his newly-claimed body before clenching it into a fist, smirking. This was going to be fun...

**I'm sorry that there's not a lot of raikim in this chapter, but i did put in a small little portion of alone time for them:) There's quite a bit of action in the next chapter, but I'm still not done editing it yet, so I'm not sure what changes there will be though.**  
**Please R&R~**


	16. Chapter 15 Warning

**HEY ALL:D**  
**I've finally finished editing this chapter~ Quite a bit of action here if you ask me:)**

In the depths of the night, loud screams and cries for help could be heard from miles away. People were running in all directions in a desperate attempt to escape the orange flames that danced over their village, swallowing everything in its wake.

Screams filled the air.

Fear...  
Agony...  
Sadness...

These were the emotions that shrouded the entire village. The agonising screams of people as they were engulfed in the flames rang out. People were either burnt alive, or crushed under the burning rubble.

Cackling could be heard from a distance away. Several metres to the north, three figures stood on a hill, speculating the scene.

"Look at them. Scattering like ants... I want to see them burn." The female spoke with disgust.

"Patience, Wuya. We'll get to that soon." Chase replied. His face flashed a look of delight and interest. Obviously he was enjoying the sight.

"That's right. This is only the beginning..." His red eyes glowed brightly in the darkness, reflecting the evil that lived in him.

This was only one of many places that he was going to conquer. Like he had said earlier, this was only the beginning...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sickening crunch was obvious in the still silence of the night. The blade sliced clean through the crown of the monk's head, cutting deep into his skull.

The monk's previously rigid body slumped as the life seeped out of his eyes. Supported by the knife biting into his brain, the lifeless corpse of the guard stayed upright.

Draco chuckled softly as he flung the dead body over his shoulder, lacking the decency to turn to see where it landed.

The other monk cowered in fear. WHAT IS THAT? The mysterious figure took a step forward and the guard stumbled backwards a couple of steps, sweaty fingers fumbling to draw his sword.

Draco smirked.

"D-don't come any closer..." stammered the monk.

The blade glinted in the dim moonlight and something thudded to the grassy floor.

"It's been a while since we've been here, hasn't it?" Chase stated as the trio strolled through the gates of the walls surrounding the temple, as relaxed as ever.

Three of the worst kind of uninvited guest you would ever want to get.

Dead monks lay in their wake as they skimped through the many rooms, stopping briefly at each one to check for their target.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rising from his seat, Raimundo proceeded to exit the ward, when he felt a cold hand grab hold of his wrist. Turning, he saw Kimiko, who was lying on the infirmary bed, staring up at him with pleading eyes. The wounds on her cheek were covered by another plaster, and her hand was still wounded and bruised.

"Rai, don't leave." She whispered.

"C'mon Kim, I've been here for hours. I need my beauty sleep!" Raimundo whined jokingly, pouting slightly.

Watching him revert back to the jokester that he was when they had first met, a smile graced her lips. "Please?"

He chuckled. "Okay, okay. Just let me grab something to eat. My stomach hasn't been able to shut up for hours!"

Kimiko's grip on his wrist loosened, and Raimundo flashed a smile. Turning the door knob, he swung the door open, only to come face to face with none other than Chase Young.

Immediately, Chase lunged forward. Taken aback, Raimundo was unable to react in time. Chase wrapped his fingers around Raimundo's neck. Next thing he knew, pain shot through his body, as the heylin lord slammed him to the ground. A hand still held onto his neck, threatening to choke him at the slightest movement.

Gasping in horror, Kimiko let out a scream. "RAI!"

A split second later, she felt a sharp pain in her scalp, as someone yanked her hair backwards.

"I see that you've decided to cover your ugly face with that little patch." someone whispered into her ear from behind.

Kimiko felt her heart come to a stop. That voice... She'd recognise it anywhere. Wuya...

The heart wrenching fear that she felt back in that icy prison returned. Instinctively, Kimiko screamed, flailing her arms wildly in a frantic attempt to escape from the witch's grip. Kimiko sunk her nails into the hand that tugged against her hair. Letting out a yelp of pain, Wuya released her grip on Kimiko's hair.

As Wuya let go of her, Kimiko tried to run, run as far away from the witch as she could, but tripped over her own foot, falling on all fours. Just as she managed to get to her feet, Wuya tackled her back to the ground from behind. In her panic, Kimiko turned around, clawing Wuya in the face.

That did it. She had officially pissed Wuya off. Raising her hand, Wuya brought it down, slapping Kimiko so hard that her head slammed into the concrete floor due to the impact.

Pain pulsed through her skull, and Kimiko's cheek stung, turning a bright red. She brought her hand over to cover her throbbing cheek, and realised that it was wet with tears. Unknowingly, the tears had already begun to flow down her cheeks.

"Wuya! Stop it, let her go!" Raimundo begged, struggling to free himself from Chase.

Ignoring the Shoku warrior, Wuya created a dagger with her magic. Pressing the tip of the dagger to Kimiko's face, Wuya glared at her, eyes filled with hatred. "This time, I'll disfigure your face beyond recognition!"

"KIM! Wuya stop!" Raimundo pleaded fruitlessly, watching Kimiko bawl loudly and struggle violently against the witch.

Looking up, he saw Chase looking very entertained by the two females. With one swift movement, Raimundo raised his legs, kicking Chase square in the gut. He pushed the heylin lord out of the way, before kicking the dagger out of the witch's hand. However, before he could do anything more, he was sent flying across the ward by a kick in the chest.

He could feel the pain when he collided with the wall, before falling back to the ground. Grunting in pain, he rolled over, avoiding another kick from his new attacker. That was when he caught a glimpse of his attacker's face.

"Carlos!?" Raimundo gasped in shock, getting back to his feet. He didn't have time to say anything more, as his best friend aimed a punch at his face, in which Raimundo managed to block with his forearm.

His attacker smirked. "Guess again."

Raimundo scanned his best friend. White hair and unfamiliar red eyes... This guy may look and sound like his best friend, but he was certainly not Carlos. "Draco..."

The smirk on the heylin lord's face widened. His hand balled into a fist, punching Raimundo in the face, causing him to stagger backwards. His other hand wrapped around the shoku warrior's neck, pinning him to the wall behind them.

"W-what have you d-done?" Raimundo choked, his hands trying their best to pry open the heylin lord's.

"I'm not here to talk about my new body. I'm here to give you a little warning. If you and your little friends want to live, stay out of my way." Draco growled, slowly tightening his grip on Raimundo's neck. In desperate need for oxygen, Raimundo gasped for air. His face was turning blue, and his vision was getting blurry.

Suddenly he heard a familiar voice. "Wudai Neptune, Water!"

A huge blast of water hit Wuya, sending her flying into a wall. Free of the heylin witch, Kimiko quickly scampered to a corner of the ward, ducking in fear. The palms of her hand over her ears, fingers digging into her scalp.

To avoid another blast of water coming his direction, Draco released the Shoku warrior and did a back flip with his new and agile body. Raimundo fell to his knees, gasping for air. Looking up, he saw Anya standing by the doorway, mouth wide open in shock.

"Carlos... Why?" she uttered, eyes brimming with tears.

Responding to his host's name, Draco turned to face the dragon of light. Getting a glimpse of his ferocious blood red eyes, Anya took a step back, intimidated.

Lunging forward, Draco aimed a high speed punch at her. Everything seemed to move at slow motion. Her eyes widened in shock, as he approached.

"Iron fist, Metal!"

Before the heylin lord managed to land the hit, a fist made up of metal slammed into his chest, knocking the air out of him and sending him flying. Unable to react in time, the iron fist landed one more punch in his right shoulder. Both attacks hurt like hell, and were definitely going to leave a bruise.

Anya stared in shock at the cowboy who came to her rescue. He had absolute rage in his eyes, and he stood protectively in front of her. Raising his fist, he prepared for another attack. Suddenly, fingers wrapped themselves around the iron fist, stopping his next attack.

"Clay, stop! Don't hurt him!" Anya shouted, clinging onto his arm.

"Anya, let go!" Clay shouted back, trying to wrench his arm from her grip.

"NO! You can't do this to Carlos!"

He flashed a look of disbelief. "Look at him! He's not Carlos!" Clay bellowed, but Anya stood her ground, not letting go.

There was a sudden beam of pure darkness. It hit its target, knocking Clay unconscious. Draco then grabbed Anya by the neck, lifting her off the ground. Instinctively, Anya held onto the hand that gripped her neck, but did nothing else.

Draco glared at the dragon of light, waiting for her to react. However, she didn't scream, nor did she struggle. Unsatisfied, he tightened his grip on her neck. Her body stiffened, but still no sound left her throat. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and slowly, she reached out to touch his face.

"Please... Carlos... I know you're in there somewhere. Don't do this..."

Draco willed for his hand to crush her throat, but a force held him back. A single tear ran down his right cheek, but he couldn't move to wipe it off.

Fighting an internal battle for dominance over this body, Draco was unknowingly blasted by a huge gust of wind. The blast of wind was almost solid, sending him flying, slamming into the wall behind him and dropping Anya in the process. Before he had the chance to peel himself off the concrete wall, an arm was painfully jammed to his throat. Raimundo's face was inches away from his, and was glaring at him with utmost fury.

"Get. Out." Raimundo demanded, referring to his best friend's body.

"Make me." Draco taunted with a smirk on his face. His hand glowed with black darkness, and he jabbed it into Raimundo's stomach. An acute pain shot through his body, and Raimundo released the heylin lord, falling to the ground, hugging his stomach and groaning in pain. Draco finished off with a hard kick to the Shoku warrior's back, before crouching down to his level.

"If you brats interfere with my plans, I'll burn down this temple, just like the village 10 miles to the north." Draco threatened.

He stood up, strolling into the ward to rejoin his allies. Chase and Wuya were fighting Omi, who had a dislocated shoulder, and was losing badly.

"I'm guessing you're done with delivering your little warning?" Wuya asked with annoyance in her voice. Obviously, she'd rather be off doing something else right now. A nod from Draco was all she needed. With her black magic, Wuya conjured up a cloud of smoke, and a second later, the three heylin lords were gone.

Getting up, Raimundo rushed into the ward, just in time to see the cloud of green smoke clear. He scanned his surroundings. Clay and Omi were lying unconscious on the ground and Anya was staring blankly at the floor, still trying to let the reality of the loss of Carlos sink in. Kimiko was curled into a tight ball in the corner of the ward. Her eyes were wide open, and she was trembling uncontrollably.

Approaching the terrified girl, Raimundo reached out to touch her. "Kim?"

As soon as his hand came in contact with her skin, Kimiko screamed hysterically, flailing her arms around like before. "NO! GET AWAY!"

"Kim! Kim it's me!" Raimundo tried to get her to come to her senses, but to no avail. She wasn't listening.

Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around the Japanese, holding her tight. "It's me, Raimundo!"

Immediately, she stopped screaming, and entire body stiffened, unmoving.

One of his hands shifted to stroke her head reassuringly. "It's okay... Don't be afraid. You're safe now."

Kimiko buried her head in his chest, sobbing. Her hands balled into fists, grabbing hold of Raimundo's shirt, clinging onto it as if it was her lifeline. Raimundo held her in his arms, stroking her hair in silence.

He was at a loss for words, at a loss for what to do. His team was a mess, and the heylin were getting stronger everyday. Something big was about to happen, and whatever it is, they had to stop it.

**I'm not sure if you guys noticed Clay using a metal element. But if you did, I'll explain that ability in the next chapter, so you'll have to wait till then. But I think most of you will be able to guess why:)**  
**Please R&R~**


	17. Chapter 16 Decisions

**HEY ALL:D**  
**Chapter 16 is up:) I hope this chapter explains why Clay can suddenly use metal~**

As they sat around the table, the monks were shrouded by thick silence. None of them really knew what to say, but all of them knew what was going on in each other's minds.

They were quite badly beaten up from yesterday's visit. Omi had his right hand in a cast. Clay a large bruise on his arm and Kimiko had a plaster covering her left cheek.

So far, their meeting was going nowhere. If no one was going to say anything, the leader had to. "We're going to have to fight." Raimundo stated solemnly.

Slamming the palm of her hand onto the table, Anya protested. "No! We can't fight Carlos! He's your best friend! He's one of us!"

"Anya, you've seen him. That's not Carlos. Let's face it... His gone..." Raimundo said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"He's not dead! He stopped Draco from trying to kill me, he's still somewhere in there!"

"But the one controlling that body right now isn't Carlos, it's Draco! If he was still in there, he would have done something to prevent this from happening!" Raimundo objected, raising his voice.

Losing her temper, Anya stood up, knocking her chair over. "If it were Kimiko in this situation, you'd nevereven _consider_ fighting her!"

Immediately, the room fell into silence. Kimiko shot up from her seat, opening her mouth to say something in the Shoku warrior's defence, but Raimundo placed a hand on her shoulder, silently asking for her not to flare up at the dragon of light's comment. Getting the hint, Kimiko sunk back to her chair, arms folded.

There was a slight pause before Raimundo spoke.

"Yes." was his simple reply, giving her a cold hard stare. "I would."

Anya's eyes widened and her mouth hung open, unable to find the words to say. Averting her gaze away from the Shoku warrior, she let her hand slip of the table top, resting it on her lap. Clay and Omi exchanged a look of shock, not believing what they had just heard.

Raimundo stared at the table before him, feeling his guilt rising. Kimiko was seated right beside him, yet he managed to say such an awful thing. Feeling like a complete jerk, he hung his head, unable to look Kimiko in the eye, and clenched his fist under the table.

Suddenly, he felt warm hands encase his clenched fist. Almost immediately, his hand relaxed. One warm hand slowly undid his fist, and the fingers of the other intertwined with his. His eyes traced up the two hands, and soon he found himself gazing at the one girl whom he thought would have been hurt by his harsh words.

Seeing the look of guilt on his face, Kimiko flashed him a sincere smile, squeezing his hand reassuringly under the table. Everyone, including Raimundo, had confusion written all over their faces, but didn't question her actions.

Just then, Master Fung entered the room. "Young monks, please proceed to the training field. I believe it's time for your training."

Omi and Clay obediently stood up and left the room, followed by Anya. As Kimiko stood up from her seat to leave as well, she felt someone grab her by her wrist.

Stopping in her tracks, she turned around to see Raimundo, who was wearing a very serious look on his face.

"Why..?"

There was silence. Kimiko raised an eyebrow, not understanding his question.

Frustrated, Raimundo raised his voice. "Why aren't you mad at me!? You should be furious! I just told everyone that I wouldn't hesitate to fight you if you ever-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kimiko launched herself at him. Standing on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, closing the gap between them.

Raimundo's body stiffened. Honestly, he wasn't expecting such a reaction from her. He just stood there completely stunned, not returning the hug.

"I'm not angry... I'm actually kind of relieved. Last night, I was thinking. What if one day, I turn to the heylin side unwillingly? If that happens, would you guys be willing to take me down?" Kimiko said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Listening to Kimiko spill her thoughts, Raimundo stood unmoving with her arms still wrapped around his neck, and her chin resting on his shoulder. His hands were still by his side, unable to bring himself to return the hug.

Hearing silence, she continued. "At first, I was unsure. But just now... hearing that you would fight me if that ever happened, I felt relieved. I felt relieved that if I ever did turn evil, I can always count on you to stop me."

Lifting his arms from his sides, he placed them on Kimiko's shoulders, pulling away from the hug to look her in the eye. "What are you talking about? That's not gonna happen."

Kimiko looked away. "I know... I'm... I'm just afraid. I'm scared..." Her gaze was diverted back to the shoku warrior by a sudden idea. "Rai, let's run. I... I don't want to fight anymore. We can't win."

Raimundo flashed Kimiko a look that suggested that she was crazy.

"Kim, do you have any idea what you're talking about? Have you gone nuts? We can't just abandon the situation and run. I'm the leader, and you're the second in command. We are xiaolin warriors." Raimundo took both her hands in his. "Kim, I know you're scared, but running isn't an option. We have to fight. If we can't win, then we will die trying."

Kimiko's eyes searched his emerald ones. She hesitated to answer, unable to find the words to say. She listened to her conscience. It was telling her to stay, telling her to fulfil her duty as the xiaolin dragon of fire and the second in command. Slowly, she nodded her head in understanding.

A smile spread across his lips. Taking her hand in his, he bolted for the door, with her stumbling after him. "C'mon, let's go before Master Fung sends a search party."

Kimiko flashed him a half-baked smile, running by his side.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wudai crater, metal!" Stomping his foot into the ground, Clay's entire body turned into solid metal. He wasn't just encased in metal, his entire flesh was now made of it. Slamming his fist into the ground, he managed to create a crater due to the force of the punch.

"Whoa... When did you learn to use your sub-element?" Raimundo questioned, mouth wide open in amazement.

"A couple of days before Kimiko was rescued. You were just too worried to realise." Clay answered, giving the shoku warrior a cocky smile.

All the monks knew that Sub-elements are a secondary element that each of the monks possessed. The awakening of each sub-element is different for each monk. The key is to be patient.

So far, only three of the monks could use their sub-elements, and one of them was possibly already dead, leaving three more that still had to awaken their elements.

"No fair! I'm the shoku warrior, how come he gets to use his element first?" Raimundo whined.

"Be patient young monk, you're element will awaken when the time is right." Master Fung advised. In return, Raimundo pouted. Kimiko, who felt that the shoku warrior was so adorable when he pouted, giggled to herself.

Anya and Omi sat on a bench that was located to the right of the training field, watching the other three monks spar.

Omi, who had his broken arm in a cast, was unable to fight, and therefore was told to sit out of the training. Anya however, had decided not to take part in the training on her own accord. The reason why they were training so hard now, was so that they could fight the heylin, in other words, Carlos. That was one thing she would never do.

Looking at Omi, she felt a little sorry for him. From the way he was fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat, she could tell that the little monk was dying to get involved in the sparring circle as well.

"Don't worry Omi, once your arm gets better, you'll be able to spar with them too." Anya told the little monk, placing a hand over his cast, in an attempt to cheer him up. Suddenly, a green light erupted from her hand. Omi felt the pain from his broken arm slowly seeping away, as both the monks stared at the strange light in shock.

As the pain decreased significantly, Omi realised that he was able to flex his fingers again. His cast began to crack, and finally it split right open, revealing his once broken arm. Raising his arm, Omi stared at it in amazement. Not only was there no pain when he moved, the bone that had bent weirdly out of shape in his arm was fixed.

Anya was speechless, just staring at Omi's healed arm with her hazel orbs. She muttered in disbelief. "What in the world..?"

"That is your sub-element." came a voice. Looking up, the two monks saw Master Fung standing before them. "Your sub-element is the element of healing. You are able to take away the pain of others, and heal their wounds. A kind and gentle element. Congratulations."

Anya still had a look of disbelief on her face, as she inspected the palm of her hand. But that expression slowly morphed into a sweet smile, and she clenched her fist, holding it close to her heart. With this element, she would be able to help others in pain. No more will she feel useless in the midst of these powerful friends of hers.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not bothering to knock on the door of her teammate's room, Anya swung the door open. "Kim there's something I-"

Hearing her door swing open, Kimiko jerked to the right, staring at the door, afraid of who might enter. Seeing that it was just Anya, she relaxed, taking in a deep breath. "Hey Anya. What's up?" she greeted.

"I was just wondering if... you know... your face..." Anya struggled to find the words to say, knowing that Kimiko had been very upset after seeing the horrible cuts on her cheek.

Bringing her fingers up to run across the plaster that rested between her fingers and her cheek, Kimiko sighed. "Master Xu says that I'll be stuck with these cuts forever... They're not gonna heal..."

"Maybe you don't have to."

Hearing what Anya had just said, Kimiko shook her head, about to protest, but Anya continued. "I have healing abilities. I don't know if it would work, but I guessed that it might be worth a shot."

Kimiko slowly made her way over to the red haired in disbelief. "You can do that..?"

Anya shrugged, "Only one way to find out."

Removing the plaster from Kimiko's cheek, Anya placed a hand over the ugly cuts. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. Once again, green light erupted from her hand, and Kimiko felt warmth spread across her cheek. Occasionally, her cuts will sting a little, but very quickly, the pain would subside.

Opening her eyes, Anya watched as the cuts began to shrink in size, closing the wounds. Finally, the light died down, and she removed her hand from Kimiko's cheek. Smiling, Anya gestured towards the mirror with her head. Without a second thought, Kimiko dashed to the mirror, standing before it.

Staring at her own reflection, Kimiko's eyes started to water. Never did she think that she could see her flawless face again. The cuts were completely healed, leaving behind no traces of a scar. Touching her face with her fingertips, she stared into her own reflection. One second passed, two, then three. Then suddenly, snapping out of her shocked trance, Kimiko started squealing.

"Yes!" Kimiko let out a loud scream, as she jumped up and down with joy. "It's gone!"

She hugged Anya, thanking her over and over again, allowing tears of joy spill down her rosy cheeks.

Just then, xiaolin warriors stormed into the room, kicking down the door in the process. Raimundo was in the lead, the blade of the nebula in his hand. "You guys ok!?"

Both girls exchanged a look of confusion. "What?"

"I thought I heard a scream." Raimundo said, with worry evident on his face. When the girls smiled sheepishly, he caught on. Quickly, he apologised for the false alarm, and dismissed the other monks. Anya, who wanted to give the couple some time alone, quietly slipped out of the room together with the monks.

Turning his attention back to the girls, Raimundo realised that Anya had disappeared, and that Kimiko was standing mere inches away from him. As he looked at the wide smile on her face, he saw that something was missing.

He brought his hand to her cheek that was once bore the wounds of Wuya's crazy antiques, and swept his thumb over it. True enough, it wasn't his eyes playing tricks on him. Her face was fully healed.

Looking at his shocked expression, Kimiko couldn't help but giggle. Suddenly, she felt his strong hands wrap around her tiny waist, lifting her of the ground. Raimundo spun her a three-hundred and sixty, listening to the angelic sounds of her giggles. Setting her back on her feet, he gave her a quick peck on her newly healed cheek, smiling widely.

Then slowly, he moved to close the gap between them. Bending down, and leaning his head a little to his right, he locked lips with her.

Feeling the softness of his lips against her own, Kimiko deepened the kiss, allowing herself to melt into it. But somehow, the world seemed to like ruining a perfect moment.

"RAIMUNDO! It's your turn to wash the dishes!" Omi shouted from the kitchen, letting his voice echo through the corridor.

Swearing under his breath, Raimundo paused for a second to reply. "Can't! I'm a little busy right now!"

"Master Fung says that if ya don't do it now, you'll scrub the main hall tonight!" they heard Clay shouted.

Groaning, Raimundo rolled his eyes in irritation, turning around to leave the room. As he was about to walk out the door, or at least what's left of it, since he broke it down minutes ago, he heard Kimiko clear her throat.

"Are you forgetting something?" Kimiko asked, gesturing towards her broken door with her head and tapping her foot against the temple flooring.

Looking from the broken door, to its broken hinges, and back to the door, Raimundo sighed in defeat. "Aw man… I have to fix that, don't I..?"

**I decided to take a break from the action for a while. and after rereading the previous few chapter, i realized something: ALL THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS HAVE EITHER SAD OR SERIOUS ENDINGS!**  
**So I decided to make this chapter end off on a happier note:) But i admit that the end was a little abrupt though, sorry... I'll make it up to you guys with a fast update I PROMISE**


	18. Chapter 17 Farewell, dear friend

**HEY ALL:D**  
**TADA~ As promised, I did a fast update in two days:D Hope you guys enjoy this chapter~**

"The Ruby of Chaos, one of the most powerful wu that Dashi had ever created. With it, the user can turn the entire planet into stone. Every normal being on the planet will turn into cold hard rock. And by normal, I mean plants and people that don't include the five of you xiaolin dragons, and the heylin." Dojo elaborated, as the xiaolin dragons surveyed the scroll in Kimiko's hands.

Standing at the mouth of the cave, the team decided to split up in search for the dangerous wu. Raimundo was sure to team himself up with Kimiko, so as to protect her, while the others were in the other team. The plan was to search through the entire cave in two hours, and then meet back at the entrance. Taking Kimiko's hand in his, Raimundo entered the cave first.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With only the light from the flame in the palm of her hand, they scanned the cave, making sure to check ever nook and cranny, as they ventured deeper into the cave.

The deeper they went, the more the fear in her grew. Kimiko could tell that the oxygen level was dropping, and it reminded her so much of the time when she was captured.

Unknowingly, her grip on Raimundo's hand tightened, and she slowly inched closer to him. Her depleting confidence was reflected in her flames, as they weakened. They started to flicker, threatening to die out.

Due to some unknown connection between the two, Raimundo was able to sense all these unspoken emotions. Squeezing her small hand, he smiled at her reassuringly. His smile brought comfort and security to her, but not enough to get rid of the heart gripping fear.

As if on cue, there was a slight tremor, causing small pieces of rock to fall from the ceiling of the cave.

Gasping loudly, Kimiko launched herself at Raimundo, hugging his arm tightly to her chest. Her eyes were wide open with fear. Shocked by the sudden shaking, Raimundo turned around, surveying their surroundings.

In the distance, he could see a faint light. Thinking that it might just be his imagination, he squinted his eyes, only to see the light approaching them, growing brighter and brighter. His eyes widened in realisation. It wasn't just light. It was fire...

Reacting quickly, he pushed Kimiko behind himself protectively, before thrusting both his arms forward. A huge rush of wind blasted from the palm of his hands, countering the huge flamethrower.

As he did his best to hold back the flames, he could feel Kimiko trembling behind him. Obviously she had an idea of who their attacker was, and that person terrified her.

A trickle of sweat rolled down the side of his face, as he felt the energy draining from him. Then suddenly, the fire subsided, and from within the flames, a foot appeared, slamming into his right cheek. But right before it connected with his face, he pushed Kimiko out of the way, and was thrown back several feet.

Losing her balance when he shoved her, she fell backwards, landing hard on her butt. Looking up, she saw Draco towering over her, his eyes fixed on her. Those striking red ruby eyes...

Draco raised his hand from his side, facing his palm to the dragon fire. Immediately, her hand glowed, and the mark of INSIGNIA appeared once again. The pain that she hadn't felt in a long time returned, and she screamed in agony, gripping her arm with her hand, squirming on the floor.

Enjoying the feeling of having his energy being recharged by her, Draco was too occupied to notice the shoku warrior running towards him. Without having any time to react, Draco was tackled to the ground by Raimundo. Both of them struggled on the floor for a few seconds, before Draco managed to kick Raimundo square in the gut, causing the shoku warrior to roll off him.

His last wind attack used had used up a lot of his energy, and he was getting tired. Panting heavily, he could feel beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. He resumed his fighting stance, trying to calm himself by blocking out Kimiko's screams. He watched as Draco lit his hands on fire. The fire slowly grew bigger and brighter as the seconds passed. Something wasn't right...

'The fire in the palm of his hand was ember coloured. Ember... Just like... Kimiko's!' Then realisation hit him. Draco shouldn't be able to use the element of fire. Even after taking over Carlos's body, he should only be able to use the element of darkness. Earlier on, when Kimiko used her fire to light up the caves, he felt that it was weaker than normal. There was only one explanation for this. Somehow, Draco was draining Kimiko's powers, and using them for himself.

Just then, Draco launched the fireball in his hand at the shoku warrior, who threw up a wall of wind to counter it. Draco brought both the palm of his hands close together, and a large sphere of darkness appeared. At the same time, both males summoned all their strength into that very attack. Wind and darkness clashed. Putting his past friendship with his best friend aside, Raimundo focused on trying to overpower the heylin lord.

Draco was quickly winning the fight of raw power. Raimundo gritted his teeth, still trying to turn the tables around, but to no avail. He soon found himself painfully hit by the attack from Draco, and was thrown into the wall of the cave.

Picking Kimiko up by the neck, Draco took a look at her tear stained face. "Now you can watch as I slowly kill off your little boyfriend."

With his hand tightly over her throat, Kimiko managed to choke out a few words. "Stop... Please..."

She could feel the energy being sapped from her body, and entering Draco's. But suddenly, she felt something brewing inside of her. Something new, something she had never felt before... A new form of crackling energy. Suddenly, sparks of electricity zapped through her entire being. Unable to hold back the surge of energy, Kimiko released it, letting it turn into a new form of energy.

She didn't know what was happening. She expected for fire to explode in the heylin lord's face, but instead, she saw something else...

The heylin lord screamed in pain, as sparks of blue electricity entered his systems, electrocuting him from head to toe. In his pain, he released the dragon of fire, letting her fall to her knees. Raimundo, who had managed to get back to his feet, was staring in awe.

That was it, Kimiko's sub-element. Lightning...

As the electrical current flowed through him, Draco toppled over, feeling the effect of the unexpected attack. There was a huge burn on his chest, and could feel his legs going numb. He was weakened, and felt himself slipping away, as the rightful owner of this body came back in control.

Raimundo lifted who he thought was the legendary heylin lord, Draco, by the collar, slamming him against the wall of the cave. Raimundo brought his blade of the nebula inches away from his stomach. Staring with hatred into those red eyes, Raimundo considered bashing him into a pulp before killing him, but changed his mind when he saw the familiarity in those eyes.

His evil bright eyes have now returned back to the warm red eyes that Raimundo remembered. "Hurry up and do it already… Kill me."

"Carlos!?" Raimundo's eyes widened at the unexpected request. "No! I…I can't do that! You-"

"Draco's still inside me! I don't know how much longer I can keep him in, so hurry up and do it!" Carlos shouted at the reluctant shoku warrior.

"What if that doesn't kill him? Then you would have died for nothing!" Raimundo argued.

Carlos closed his eyes. Honestly, dying young wasn't what he had in mind, when he agreed to come to the temple. But for the sake of the world, some sacrifices had to be made. "Then I guess we just have to take our chances..."

Even with that argument, the shoku warrior refused. No matter what, he wasn't about to kill his best friend…

Taking one last look at his best friend, Carlos did the unthinkable. In one swift motion, he lunged forward, giving his best friend a one armed hug. As he did so, the blade of the nebula plunged itself into his stomach, cutting through his flesh.

His entire life flashed before his eyes. He remembered how he and Raimundo, as young orphans, had to fend for themselves back then, in Rio. Everyday, they had to steal from others to survive. That was the part of his past that he had never been very proud of. He remembered telling Raimundo that someday, he wished to stop acting like a criminal. He wanted to be one of the good guys… The hero...

As Carlos fell to his knees, Raimundo stood motionless in utter shock and terror. Everything had happened so quickly, that he didn't even have the time to register what was going on. Kimiko covered her mouth with both her hands, staring wide eyed at the dragon of darkness.

Normally, the sword would have acted as a plug to the wound, stopping the blood from gushing out, but the curved blade of that blue sword was unable to do so. Blood rushed out of the stab wound, pooling onto the floor of the dark cave. Carlos ripped the blade out of his body, throwing it several feet away.

Raimundo could feel the tears coming. He crouched down, grabbing his friend by the shoulders. "Carlos no! Stay with me bro!"

Despite Raimundo's efforts to give him the hope of survival, Carlos wasn't really listening. He knew his time was up... Carlos grabbed Raimundo's arm. "Rai, I-I just want you to know... Having you for a brother was the best thing that has ever happened to me..."

Raimundo choked back the tears. Years ago, he had left Carlos alone to fend for himself in Rio, and came to the xiaolin temple. A year ago, their paths crossed again, allowing them to be reunited. He thought that they would never be separated again, but fate wouldn't allow it... "You'll always be a brother to me. Always have been, always will be..."

Carlos gave him a weak smile, watching Raimundo unsuccessfully trying to hold back his tears. "Thanks b-bro..."

Both friends were on the floor, shrouded in silence... Words went unspoken, yet understood...

Breathing was starting to be a difficulty. His time was almost up. But before he could leave, there was one last favour he needed to ask. "T-Take care of A-Anya for... me..."

Before anyone could say anything else, they heard a familiar voice. "CARLOS!"

Recognising that voice, Raimundo dared not lift his head. Kimiko could see Raimundo's body stiffen. She slowly looked up, only to see their russian comrade collapsing by her lover's side.

Anya cupped his cheeks with both her hands, scanning his face. As her line of vision moved down to survey his entire well-being.

"A-Anya..." Carlos called out in a soft and raspy voice. Seeing his girlfriend before him, his mouth curved into a smile, and tears of joy leaked from his ruby eyes.

Ignoring the fact that he had called her name, Anya brought her hands to his stomach. Focusing her chi, a green light erupted from both the palm of her hands.

Carlos could feel the pain slowly seeping away. He lifted his hand to place it on top of Anya's, but she still didn't say anything. Droplets of her tears slid down her face, dripping onto his hand. He could see her entire body trembling while she tried to hold back the tears.

Anya tried her best to close the wound, but the blood didn't stop rushing out. She wanted so much to believe that he would make it, but as the seconds passed, her hopes were diminishing. Her hope was quickly replaced by heart-wrenching fear, and she started sobbing loudly.

Fatigue washed over him, and Carlos could feel his eyelids closing involuntarily. Seeing this, Anya started to panic. "Carlos! Carlos, don't close your eyes! Please! I beg you... Stop..."

Hearing her voice for the last time, Carlos smiled, despite the tears that were sliding down his face. Not having the strength to say anything, Carlos mouthed his last words:  
I love you...

After that, his eyelids slid shut for all of eternity.

The green light disappeared...

There was a moment of silence. No one spoke, no one moved a muscle.

"He's... not breathing..." New tears stung her eyes. This wasn't happening... This couldn't be happening...

She looked at Raimundo, waiting for him to show any indication that she was mistaken. But to her dismay, she only saw tears streaming down his face.

Reality hit her like a ton of bricks...

"No... NOOO!" her sobbing turned into uncontrollable wailing, as she slid her hands around Carlos's neck, and leaning her head on his muscular chest. She could feel her tears soaking his shirt, but it didn't matter... Nothing mattered if he wasn't around...

Clenching his fist, Raimundo slammed it hard into the ground, and Kimiko swore that she heard a loud crunch. Immediately, she ran over, cupping his broken knuckle in her hands, inspecting it. Between sobs, she gently brought him into an embrace, allowing him to bury his head into her shoulder. Up until now, it had always been Raimundo, who had been there to comfort her. Now, it was her turn.

Never had she seen Raimundo break down like this, but she understood. Being an orphan, Carlos was his only family. The feeling of losing your only family member... That feeling, she knew all too well...

Suddenly, Carlos's dead corpse glowed a bright white colour, catching everyone's attention. Slowly lifting her head, Anya watched as a white smoke rose from the heart of the lifeless body, gathering a few metres off the ground. Just in time, the other two remaining monks arrived. The cowboy held the Ruby of Chaos in his right hand. Both monks stared in awe and confusion.

As the white smoke twisted above the ground, it started to form into the figure of a male. Slowly, the distinct features started to form. Short hair, closed eyes, toned body, huge feet… Then suddenly, his eyes shot open, revealing his glowing blood red eyes.

It couldn't be more obvious who it was. Draco…

Without a body, he was translucent once again. He wore a furious expression on his face, glaring daggers at the now useless dead body. 'This boy… I seemed to have overestimated him…'

Turning around, he surveyed the looks of shock and disbelief on the monk's faces. "You didn't think that you could kill me just by killing of my body did you!?" Draco laughed manically.

"That wasn't your body! It was Carlos's you thief!"

Turning attention to the source of the rude shout, Draco smirked at the russian girl, who was still hugging Carlos's limp body. Draco was amused by how the Anya held onto the dead boy, whose body was now nothing more than an empty shell.

"Wudai Neptune, Ice!" Large icicles flew at Draco from behind, but he maintained his composure, turning around to face his attacker. The icicles, instead of injuring him, flew straight through his disembodied form, piercing the walls behind him. The heylin lord flashed the young monk a cocky smile, before making his escape through the rock walls of the cave.

'No…' Raimundo turned both the palm of his hands to face him, staring at them with fear in his eyes. Fear of the two very hands that killed his best friend, hands that belonged to him…

'All this… for nothing…'

**I'm really sorry to all those who didn't want Carlos to die But I planned for this to happen since I started writing this story. **  
**For those who are wondering what's up with the whole orphan thing in this chapter, well I'll explain it in the next chapter:) , so please don't give up on this story just because Carlos died.**  
**Pls R&R~**


	19. Chapter 18 Carlos Henriques

**HEY ALL:D**  
**After reading all the reviews that you guys left, I realized that many of you guys are a little unhappy about Carlos's death. Therefore, this entire chapter is written centering around Carlos(sort of). Hope you guys enjoy it:)**

His ashes were scattered by the wind, carried miles away from the temple where he used to call home. As she threw fistful after fistful of his ashes into the air, Anya watched with teary eyes as they disappeared with the wind.

Behind her, stood the monks of the xiaolin temple. Every single monk was present, paying their respects to the late dragon of darkness.

Every monk, except for one...

Once again, Kimiko surveyed the hill where everyone had gathered. _'He's not here yet...'_

"Don't bother lookin for him. If he wanted to be here, he would have came hours ago... He ain't gonna show." Clay said to the dragon of fire, when he noticed her looking for the missing monk every five minutes.

Kimiko lowered her head in disappointment. _'Raimundo... Where are you..?'_  
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The roof... That was his special place. The place where he had first confessed to the girl of his dreams. A place where he could forget all his problems, his special place...

He lay on his back, hands behind his head, staring at the clouds drifting by. He felt the cooling breeze sweep past his sun kissed skin, whipping his chocolate brown hair about. His mind was clear, blank.

He knew that he was supposed to be at the hill with the other monks at that very moment, to say their final goodbyes to their comrade. But he didn't care.

He didn't want to say goodbye...  
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Turning around, Anya nodded to Master Fung, indicating that she had finished scattering Carlos's ashes. Stepping forward, Master Fung said his last words to the dragon of darkness.

"You showed great potential, young one. You fought bravely, and died with honour. Your passing is indeed a great loss..." His paused, lowering his voice. "You may no longer be with us in this world, but you will always live on, in our hearts."

There was a moment of complete silence, where everyone bowed in respect to the courageous xiaolin warrior, who sacrificed himself in an attempt to save the world.

Raising his head Omi spoke. "You my friend, have earned my respect..."

As the monks started to descend the hill, not a single person uttered a single word. Even Dojo, who was sitting on Master Fung's shoulder, was quiet. Kimiko was about to return to the temple to look for the missing Raimundo, when suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Turning around, she came face to face with Anya, who had a blank expression on her face. That same blank expression that she had on everyday since Carlos had passed away.

"Give this to Rai..." Anya whispered, handing the urn to Kimiko. "It's what Carlos would have wanted."

Looking at the urn, Kimiko removed its cover. Her eyes widened. Resting in the urn, was the remaining of Carlos's ashes, just enough to fit into a clenched fist.

"Weren't you suppose to-"

"Yes, I was supposed to scatter ALL of his ashes. But I just thought that Rai should do the honours…" Anya interrupted monotonously, walking past the dragon of fire, proceeding to descend the hill.

Turning around, Kimiko watched as the heartbroken girl walked off. She mist have known that Raimundo would regret it later on if he didn't get the chance to see his friend off, so she left a fistful of ashes for him scatter… To say goodbye...

'Thank you, Anya...'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner that night was quiet. Too quiet…

Kimiko got up from her seat, surveying the dining room. It was empty… Everyone had left after eating one or two spoonfuls of rice, claiming to be not hungry. However, Raimundo didn't show up for dinner. In fact no one had seen him since Carlos had passed away three days ago.

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she saw something green slithering into the kitchen.

"Hey Dojo, hungry?" she greeted, trying her best to sound cheerful. If no one in the group was going to be strong, she had to be strong for them...

"Actually I am," Dojo answered, but he suddenly blinked as if having a separate train of thought. He cleared his throat. "But that's not why I was here. It's about Anya…"

Suddenly, gaining interest in Dojo's presence, Kimiko turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. She watched as he quickly slithered up to rest on her shoulders. As quietly as possible, he whispered something into her ear. As he did so, her eyes narrowed.

"In that case, have Master Xu do a full check-up on her, and report the results to Rai. I think he would want to know what's going on." Kimiko instructed, but Dojo had his objections.

"Not trying to be mean or anything Kimiko, but Raimundo isn't exactly the best person to be telling anything to right now." Dojo said.

Rolling her eyes in irritation, she exhaled. "Fine... Tell the results to me then. But I hope your suspicion is a false alarm, for Anya's sake…"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He watched as the three pebbles spun in a circle, levitating above the palm of his hands. Stopping the moving air current, Raimundo's line of vision followed the pebbles as they fell back into his palm.

"Four days down, only an entire lifetime left." Raimundo mumbled to nobody in particular.

"What are ya doin?" A voice with a thick cowboy accent echoed out.

Putting a hand behind his head, Raimundo leaned backwards, resting his back against the bark of the tree. "Counting the number of days I have left to wallow in my guilt."

Looking up at the Shoku Warrior who was relaxing high up in the tree, Clay eye twitched in irritation. "Then you better give up on your math soon, and get back to doin your duties as the leader." Seconds passed, but the Shoku Warrior made no indication that he was listening.

"Ya know, I am sick and tired of watching you rot all day, while Kimiko cleans up after your mess!" Clay shouted in anger, shaking the tree with a punch of his iron fist. Finally, he got the Brazilian's attention. "While you have been burying yourself in your self pity, Kimiko has been filling in for you, and doing YOUR duties as the Shoku! If you even have a sense of responsibility in you, you'd stop piling your work on her."

After Clay had finished saying his piece, he left as quickly and silently as he came. Raimundo's face contorted as he thought about what the Texan had just said. _'No wonder the monks have yet to come look for me. Kim must have been doing my share of work and chores…'_

He would have gone back to the temple right away, but the guilt of Carlos's death was still eating at him. After what he had done, Raimundo didn't know how to face the other monks. Especially Anya…

Drops of rainwater fell from the darkening sky, soaking his shoku robes. Looking up at the sky, which was covered by grey clouds, he couldn't help but remember… Remember what happened years as ago…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**FLASHBACK**

"You little thieving street rats, GET BACK HERE!"

Water splashed under their feet, as the two Brazilian boys dashed through the heavy downpour, panting heavily. Suddenly, the brunette slipped, almost dropping the bread that was clutched between his slim fingers. The raven haired pulled him back up, taking the stolen bread from him.

As the boys rounded the corner, they stopped in their tracks. Clamped between two three-storey houses, a large wall stood in their way, blocking their path.

The flustered brunette kept looking between the wall and behind them, expecting their pursuer to catch up within seconds. "Carlos, what do we do!?"

Scanning their surroundings, Carlos laid his eyes on the stack of boxes lying against the large wall. Climbing onto the largest box, Carlos leaped as high as his legs would allow him, barely managing to grab hold of the window ledge to his right. Quickly, he swung himself onto the roof of the building, before reaching back down to help his best friend. "Take my hand!"

Grabbing Carlos's hand, Raimundo managed to scale the wall of the house, just in time to see the shop owner round the corner.

On the roof, both the twelve-year-olds ducked underneath the shelter of a protruding roof of a taller neighbouring building. The shelter wasn't much, just barely enough to keep their heads dry.

Carlos tore the almost soaked bread into half, offering one portion to Raimundo.

Staring at it in disgust, Raimundo accepted his half of the stolen bread. "Well... At least it's edible..."

Biting into his half, a smile spread across Raimundo's face. The outside may have been soaked and disgusting, but the inside was still dry, and fairly warm. It had been two days since their last meal, so anything, including their soggy bread, tasted like heaven.

Carlos stared at their stolen meal, listening to the shop owner screaming colourful vulgarities in their native language from down below. In his frustration, Carlos flung his portion of bread onto the floor, allowing it to soak up the rainwater, before stomping onto it. "I'm sick of this! I'm sick of ALL of this!"

Outside of the shelter of the roof, Carlos stood under the now pouring rain, back facing Raimundo. "THIS ISN'T FAIR! Why is it that all those other kids our age get three meals a day, while people like us only get one meal every other day!?"

Raimundo stopped savouring his portion of bread, looking down at the floor, frowning. He was right, this wasn't fair. Everyday, they had to steal from others just to survive, while others had food handed to them everyday.

Carlos looked up at the sky that was covered by dark grey clouds, which sent rain pouring down to earth. "I'm tired... I don't want to steal like criminals..."

There was a minute of silence, where Carlos just stood under the rain, feeling the cold water flow down his body. Raimundo stood underneath the shelter, reflecting on what Carlos had just said.

"Just you watch Raimundo..." Carlos said, his voice filled with resolve, as he turned to face his best friend. "Someday... I'm gonna be one of the good guys... The hero..."

Tearing the remainder of his bread into half, Raimundo tossed it over to his hungry friend, who gobbled it down in seconds. Staring at what's left of his bread, he let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, someday..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
As he reminisced, he barely noticed that the rain had ceased. Dark grey clouds still covered the sky, and the cold wind whipped his brown hair around.

He heard footsteps approaching...

She felt the grass crunching underneath the soles of her feet, as she approached the tree. Raising her head, Kimiko saw the Brazilian sitting comfortably on its branch.

He didn't need to look down to guess who was there. "Hey, Kim..."

"Rai, come down from there... please?" she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Raimundo let out a loud sigh as he remained unmoving for several seconds. Reluctantly, he then leapt off the branch, using his element of wind to cushion his landing. As he stood barely a metre away from the dragon of fire, he noticed something clasped between both her hands.

"We thought you might like to say goodbye..." Kimiko said, referring to the last of Carlos's ashes, which rested in the urn between the palm of her hands.

Raimundo took a three-second glance at the urn. His lifted his hand, reaching out to accept the urn. However, centimetres away from it, he froze. Averting his gaze, he allowed his hand to fall back to his side.

Sensing his hesitance, Kimiko frowned. Holding the urn in one hand, she reached out with the other, holding the back of his hand.

"You were his family..." Kimiko said, bringing his hand up to cup the urn. "It's only right..."

She smiled when she felt his fingers wrap around the urn. When both his hands had a firm grip on it, she slowly let her fingers slid of the urn, allowing her hands to rest by her sides.

Slowly, he turned to back face her, taking a few steps forward.

Digging his hand into the urn, Raimundo scooped the remaining of Carlos's ashes into the palm of his hand. There wasn't much. Just enough to allow him to contain them within his balled fist. Bringing his fist to his eye level, Raimundo took one last long look at the hand that held the remains of his best friend. His sorrowful emerald eyes were hidden under his brown bangs, as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Tilting his head upwards took look at the grey sky, Raimundo chuckled bitterly. It reminded him so much of that day many years ago. "You really were the hero in the end, weren't you..?"

Seconds passed, but his reply never came...

Turning his attention back at the ashes, he stared intently at the fist that contained Carlos's remains. His face was expressionless, as he wore a blank look on his face. Slowly, he unclenched his fist. As the gaps between his fingers widened, the ashes quickly slipped through them. He watched with a heavy heart, as the ashes were picked up by the wind, scattering and disappearing within seconds.

No matter how hard he tried to keep a straight face, he couldn't hold back the surge of emotions. As the salty tears rolled down his face, he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kimiko's petite form by his side.

Closing her eyes, Kimiko said her final words to her eternal comrade. "Just you watch, Carlos. We will kick their heylin butts." Then, her voice softened. "One day, we will stop Draco. And when that day comes, may you be with us..."

**I've long planned for Carlos to die, so I decided to develop his character a little more than my other OC. Sorry if some of you guys got too attached to him... I'll see if there are any chances to include him into the story again, and if possible, find a way to revive him at some point. (But no promises, I'll TRY) Please don't give up on this story because Carlos died  
Pls R&R~**


	20. Chapter 19 Split

**HEY ALL:D**  
**I'm SUUUUUUPER sorry for the late update. I was down with a high fever, and am still having a headache. But nevertheless, I still managed to come up with chapter 19~**

"I was right..."

Kimiko's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What?"

Dojo frowned, his eyebrows scrunched as he stared at the floor. "I can sense all six- I mean five of your life-forces. I sensed that there was something wrong with Anya's life-force since two months ago. At first, I thought that it was just a mistake, but after what Master Xu told me..."

Kimiko's hand moved to cup her mouth, which was hanging wide open.

Seeing that she was too shocked for words, Dojo continued. "From what I can tell, she doesn't know yet. You might wanna tell her soon."

"M-me!?"

Dojo scratched the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward. "Well, it's better for a girl to tell her rather than-" He was suddenly interrupted when Kimiko grabbed his mouth shut with her left hand. "Shh! Someone's coming."

Footsteps were heard. Slow, casual steps.

Emerging from the corridor leading to the kitchen where they stood, was the very red-haired that they were talking about. Her originally pale faced had more colour, and come to think of it, she did look a little... fatter... than usual.

Trying to seem casual, Kimiko put on yet another fake smile, the same fake smile that she had been wearing for days now. "Hey Anya, you hungry too?"

Anya didn't speak, just nodded. After which, she then proceeded to raid the fridge, taking out a piece of pizza which was part of yesterday's leftovers.

Quickly, Dojo slithered up to rest on Kimiko's shoulders. Giving her a funny look, he gestured his head towards Anya. "Hurry up and tell her," Dojo whispered.

"Why don't YOU tell her!?" snapped the irritated Kimiko, gaining the dragon of light's attention.

Turning around to face the two Anya raised an eyebrow, "Tell me what?"

"Ummm…" Kimiko stammered, looking at Dojo for help. But unfortunately for her, the dragon wasn't planning on helping. Raising his hands above his head, Dojo backed away from the dragon of fire, whose silent pleads for help turned into an intimidating stare.

'Good luck' Dojo mouthed to Kimiko before quickly slithering out.

Kimiko cursed under her breath. Trust Dojo to leave all the hard stuff to her… Pinching the bridge of her nose, Kimiko sighed deeply. 'Here goes nothing.'

"Remember when we got you to go for a full check-up?" Kimiko asked, chewing on her lower lip.

"You mean the one that Dojo said was because Master Xu needed something to do?"

Kimiko raised an eyebrow, but decided to just go along with it.

"Y-yeah… That one. A-About the results…"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nothing has changed... Even after scattering the ashes of his best friend, he still lacked the courage to move on.

The dragon of the wind lay on his bed, sleeping the day away. Only by sleeping, could he get rid of the guilt. Even if it was temporarily, at least he didn't have to suffer...

There was a knock on the door.

"Raimundo, I have somethin to tell ya."

Raimundo rolled over, groaning in frustration. "Go away, Clay!"

The cowboy chose to ignore his leader by opening the door, entering the room. Holding the piece of paper in his hand, Clay took a deep breath before breaking the news to the Shoku Warrior.

"Recently ma daddy sent me a letter... He wants me back at the ranch..."

After all they have been through, after being best friends for years, the cowboy was choosing to raise pigs over them! Raimundo felt his anger levels sky rocketing. All the anger and frustration that he had suppressed within himself for a while now needed somewhere to go. "Oh, so you wanna be daddy's little boy now huh!? Well you know what, we don't really need you here! So you can just run along, back to your stupid ranch, and rear pigs all day for all I care!"

"That's not what I-"

"Don't worry, your absence won't make a difference to this team. In fact, I think we're better off without you!" Raimundo said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Placing both his hands behind his head, Raimundo flopped back onto his pillow.

Right at that moment, Kimiko entered the room, but both the males were too pissed off at each other to notice her presence.

"I was goin ta say that I was only goin back for a few days, but since you want me gone so bad, I think I will! Goodbye and good riddance!" Clay fumed, storming out of the room.

She wasn't sure what this fight was all about, but all she knew was that if she didn't do anything about it, things might get ugly. "Clay-"

"Don't stop him!" Raimundo bellowed, cutting her off and glaring daggers at her. Lowering his voice, Raimundo turned his gaze to the ceiling with a solemn look on his face. "Just let him leave."

Kimiko looked from the Brazilian to the Texan, torn between listening to her leader and running after her friend. She couldn't make up her mind on what her next move was. She could only chew on her lower lip and watch as the cowboy stormed out the door.

Furious, Kimiko opened her mouth to say something against her leader. But the moment she saw the tear running down his face, she stopped. The words didn't come out. Unable to find the words to say, she gave Raimundo a look of disappointment, before running after the Texan. "Clay, wait!"

Raimundo didn't stop her from running after their friend. He listened as her thumping footsteps slowly faded. _'It doesn't matter if he leaves. We're gonna lose anyway…'_  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stormed out of the temple's main building, carrying his already packed trunk with him. He approached the fifty foot dragon, who was already waiting to depart.

"Clay, Raimundo didn't mean what he said!"

Not turning back to look at the raven haired who was having trouble keeping up with the cowboy's face due to her small stature. "Oh I'm sure he did lil lady."

"But-"

"Besides, if you guys ever need anything, you'll always know where ta find me. It was nice knowin you guys, but it's time for me to go." Clay told the girl whom he had always regarded as a little sister. He gently rested a hand on the crown of her head, giving her a light pat. Then slowly, he turned and mounted the large dragon. "You take care of yourself, and if you can, try to get that jerk back on track."

Kimiko did her best to look cheerful, giving Clay a slight nod. He in return, gave her a wide smile, tipping his large cowboy hat. With that, Dojo took off with a solemn face. As he flew further and further away from the temple, Kimiko watched as he seemed to shrink, feeling her smile fading. When he was far enough, he disappeared within the clouds.

And just like that, he left…  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Explaining to the others about Clay's departure was tough. Anya had a look of utter disbelief on her face, and was completely speechless upon hearing the news that night. Omi, who had always been tough, tried his best to hold in tears, but couldn't help but sniffle. "But… he never even said goodbye…"

Turning his glare towards the Shoku warrior, Omi got up from his seat so fast that his chair toppled over. Grabbing the brunette by his robes, Omi pulled him down to his level. Furiously shaking him, Omi shouted in fury, "WHY RAIMUNDO, WHY!?"

"Get off me!" Raimundo exclaimed, swatting off both the younger monk's hands. With an irritated look on his face, Raimundo straightened up. Without a word, he made his way back to his room, slamming the door so hard that the loud thud could be heard from the main hall.

Finally able to once again find her voice, Anya muttered softy to no one in particular, "Now that Clay's gone, what do we do..?"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was late into the night. The moon hung high in the night sky, bringing a faint light pouring through the open windows. His eyes gleamed under the glow of the full moon. Everyone else may have been asleep, but not him. So many things were running through his head. Although his facial expression was blank, he was actually fighting back a whirl of emotions. He had his hands behind his head, and he was lying flat on his back on his bed.

His train of thought was disrupted by the sudden turning of a doorknob. Immediately, his head jerked to his left, staring intently his bedroom door slowly swung open, revealing his visitor. "Kim? What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," was her simple reply.

He scrutinised her petite form from where he lay on his bed. Her raven hair was let down, and her ivory skin seemed to glow under the moonlight. Her blue eyes reflecting the little light that barely managed to seep through his window, sparkling in the darkness. Unknowingly, his eyes widened at her beauty. Only after seeing the faint blush on her cheeks did he realise that he was staring. Immediately, Raimundo averted his gaze, rolling over to face the window instead.

The old wooden floorboards creaked underneath the soles of her bare feet, as she took slow small steps towards him. Although she tried her best to it as silently as possible, Raimundo could feel her climbing onto his bed, and lying by his side. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his muscular body, leaning her head against his back. Closing her eyes, she breathed in his sent, enjoying the moment.

Raimundo tried to turn his body to face her, but froze when he felt her arms tightening around his body. "Kim I-"

"Just let me stay like this…" Kimiko whispered. "Even if it's just for a little while…"

Something wasn't right…

Peeling her hands off his body, Raimundo turned around to face her. "What's wrong?"

There was a moment of silence, whereby Kimiko debated with herself on whether or not she should tell him. Finally, she made up her mind. "Rai… we need Clay."

Exhaling sharply, Raimundo turned to lie on his back, closing his eyes.

"Our chances of winning were never very high from the beginning." Kimiko stated. "If Clay's not here, we don't even need to think about winning anymore. Raimundo please, just apologise to him."

Keeping his eyes closed, Raimundo tried his best to act nonchalant. "No."

In so many ways, he could be so stubborn. Opening her mouth to protest, Kimiko felt a sharp pain shooting through her body._ 'Not again!'_ Her body instinctively tensed up, as she let out a small cry of pain, gripping her arm. The symbol of the black dragon reappeared on her arm once again, glowing brightly, catching the attention of the Shoku warrior.

"Kimiko!" Raimundo was immediately on his feet, his eyes reflected the worry and panic in him. "Hang on, I'll get Master Fung!"

He turned to run, but was stopped by a hand which held tightly onto his wrist.

Her hand… It was cold. Like touching ice…

Turning on the balls of his feet, Raimundo dropped to his knees by his bed, holding her freezing hand in his.

"D-don't worry… It'll wear off after a while…" Kimiko tried to assure him, putting on a forced smile. Try as she may, she wasn't fooling him. He could see through her pretence as if he felt her pain. In a pained voice, she tried to persuade him once more. "Rai, we really need Clay," she said. "My powers are weakening. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to help you guys."

As she felt her energy painfully being leeched, breathing started becoming a difficulty. Watching her suffer while he could do nothing about it was torturous. He placed his forehead on her's, closing his eyes.

"Why do you always keep your suffering to yourself…?"

Letting out a small chuckle, she replied, "But Raimundo, aren't you the same?"

Sniffing back the tears, he let out a chuckle of his own. "Then I guess we're both suckers huh?"

Kimiko lifted her head, allowing her lips to connect with his. She felt his lips curve into a smile against her own. Both of them enjoyed the warmth of each other, fully contented, wishing that time would just slow down and come to a stop. Wishing for that moment of happiness to last forever, but fate would not allow it. Both were too caught up in the moment to realise the dangers that lay in the near future. Their worst nightmares were about to become their living reality…

**I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't very good. When I get better, I'll put up a better chapter (which will be about next week) I PROMISE!**


	21. Chapter 20 Invasion

**HEY ALL:D**  
**Here's the long awaited update~ This is THE longest chapter I have ever written. Hope you guys enjoy it:)**

She couldn't believe it.

He was here, standing before her. The love of her life, the one person she missed so much.

The very person who she thought she'd never see again...

Tears blurred her vision, and her lips mouthed his name.

"Carlos..."

He didn't say anything, just smiled.  
She lifted a hand from her side, wanting to verify that he wasn't just an illusion conjured by her own element. However, when her fingers were mere inches from his face, she hesitated. What if he was indeed an illusion? If he was, would he just... disappear?

But the facts would always remain as facts. If he was indeed an illusion, then it wouldn't mean anything even if he were to disappear... But if he was real, that would be a different story.

As her hand advanced forward, Anya braced herself for her fingers to slip right through him. However, they didn't. She could feel it. Skin... His face... She could feel it! He was real!

Without a second thought, she launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, slamming her body into his. Her lips morphed into a wide smile, showing her teeth and tears of joy streamed down her face.

Her rational mind spoke to her, telling her that this couldn't be true. That he couldn't be Carlos. He was gone... Dead.

But right now, what her rational mind said didn't matter. He was here. She could feel his hands wrapping around her waist as he buried his head in her hair.

"I needed to see you again..." he whispered, pulling back. He placed a hand on her left cheek, and she closed her eyes, leaning in.

Placing a hand over the one he had on her cheek, she intertwined her fingers with his. Removing his hand from her face, she spoke. "Carlos, there's something I need to tell you."

He raised his eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"Recently, Master Xu did a check-up on me, and I just got the results from Kimiko." Suddenly, the words became hard to say. Squeezing her eyes shut, and lowering her head, she broke the news to him. "I... I'm pregnant."

Her eyes stayed close, and she chewed her lower lip, anticipating his reaction. What if he didn't want the baby? What if he regretted ever being with her? What if-

Her thoughts were interrupted when she was picked up by a strong pair of hands around her waist, and twirled in the air.

"Really!? That's great!" Relief washed over her when she heard the happiness in his voice. But as he set her back on the ground, his toned changed.

"Too bad I can't be by your side to watch him grow..." his voice was solemn and low.

Her eyes shot wide open, and she broke the embrace to look him in the eye. "You're not staying?"

She saw him avert his gaze.

"I'm sorry..."

Her tears formed in her hazel eyes. She couldn't believe it. One moment he was back, and the next, he was leaving.

He couldn't leave. She wasn't going to let him.

"No! You can't go! I can't lose you again..."

She watched as his lips mouthed a few words, but for some reason, she couldn't hear what he was saying. He seemed to start rushing his words as his body started to turn translucent. It was like he was trying to tell her something important...

Wrapping her arms around his body, she gave one final attempt to beg him to stay. "Don't go... Please. I can't do this without you..."

Right before his body completely faded away, she caught a glimpse of him mouthing his last words. 'I love you'.

And with that, he disappeared, leaving her to drop to her knees.

The next thing she knew, Anya was lying in her bed, opening her eyes. Bringing her hand to rub her tired eyes, she realised that they were wet with tears.

A dream... It was all a dream. But it felt... so real, like he was really there.

Sitting up in her bed, she slowly pulled off her blanket, revealing her belly.

Kimiko's voice rang in her head. 'You're pregnant...'

Then she thought of Carlos's reaction in her dream. 'Really!? That's great!'

Placing a warm hand on her yet-to be bulging belly, a gentle smile spread across her lips.

'Carlos's and my child... This is the last thing he left me before he died. No matter what happens, I need to be strong because this is now my reason to live. My child...'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Without so much as a knock, the tiny yellow monk with a dragon wrapped around his neck burst into the room. "Raimundo, wake up! A new shen gong-" But before he got to finish his sentence, he froze.

The two monks cuddling on the bed immediately jolted up into a sitting position, staring at the two intruders, eyes wide open in shock.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF DASHI IS SHE DOING HERE!?" Dojo shouted, breaking the silence as he pointed at the raven haired girl beside the brunette. Blushing madly, Kimiko quickly buried herself under the thick blanket.

Snapping out of his shocked trance, Raimundo rolled his eyes and gave a dismissive shrug, "Relax gecko, we're wearing clothes." As if to prove his point, he pulled off the sheet of the blankets, revealing the Japanese who was still frantically trying to hide her blush.

Now it was Omi's turn to roll his eyes as he fished out the ancient scroll of the shen gong wu. "Enough of the chat-chit. We have a shen gong wu to find!"

"Which wu is it?" Kimiko questioned.

"The Brooch of Meditation. It's supposed to help you calm your nerves and empty your mind." Dojo answered, before adding a comment, "That thing really came in handy whenever Dashi managed to piss Wuya off when she was the dragon of the earth."

"That sounds like something Raimundo would need when he tries to read Kimiko's diary." Omi pointed out as-a-matter-of-factly, earning a death glare from the Japanese girl.

Letting out a loud yawn, Raimundo laid back on his bed. "Kimi's temper, I can handle. Can't we just let the heylin have this one? It's completely useless!" he whined, closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep. However, his eyes snapped open at the sound of someone clearing his throat.

"Raimundo, we need to collect all of the shen gong wu and keep them away from the hands of the heylin. And I mean ALL the shen gong wu." Master Fung lectured with a stern face. Knowing that he was going to lose this argument, Raimundo let out a loud sigh before rolling off his bed.

"You and Anya stay here and protect the temple. With Draco running around free, who knows what he could be up to." Raimundo instructed his second in command, placing something in the palm of her hand. "Hold onto the Ruby of Chaos till I get back, just in case."

Kimiko gave him a slight nod, watching as he proceeded to leave with Omi and Dojo. But before he could step out the door, he was stopped by Master Fung.

"Raimundo, this is not a very useful shen gong wu in battle. If the heylin are there for the Brooch of Meditation as well, do not fight with them over it." He advised, as the shoku warrior answered with a nod of his own.

After which, they went off to the training field, with Master Fung calmly following behind. Mounting the dragon, they took off into the skies.

Watching as the trio disappeared behind the clouds, Master Fung could feel a hint of worry rising within him. Since that morning, he had been sensing some form of ominous vibe.

He turned to return to the temple halls, but before he had the chance to step indoors, sharp nails coated in black magic sunk into his neck. The nails stayed rooted in his skin, threatening to slice his head off if he moved an inch.

Despite the throbbing pain, the old master kept perfectly still, with a calm expression on his face. Standing behind him were Chase and Wuya, their lips curved into wide evil smirks. Obviously they had a motive for coming here today.

A ghostly and translucent figure was floating before him. The usually smirking heylin lord had a fierce and serious look on his face as his ruby eyes glowed brightly.

"I'm not feeling very patient today, so I will only ask once." Draco said in a slow demanding tone, "Where is Raimundo Pedrosa?"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few hours of searching, the two monks found what they had came to find. Lying by the river bank was the brooch, its central emerald shimmering under the sunlight.

Without hesitation, the younger monk sprinted over, expecting someone else to show up to try to grab it. But strangely, no one did. Picking up the brooch, Omi cautiously stood up. A persistent feeling of worry had been haunting him since they had left the temple, but he had no idea why.

Keeping his eyes peeled, the dragon of the wind surveyed their surroundings. Normally the heylin would have shown up to try and fight with them over a wu, or at least Wuya would. But there was no one here.

Something obviously wasn't right…

Narrowing his eyes, Raimundo thought hard, analysing the situation. Not only has the heylin been inactive for a while, Wuya has also decided not to try to bag a shen gong wu.

A thought entered his mind, and Raimundo snapped his head to the left to face his two companions. "We need to get back to the temple. Now!" Raimundo ordered as his face contorted in worry.

Sensing the brunette's uneasiness, Dojo morphed into his large form as the two monks flipped onto his back. Then as quickly as he could, he sped back towards the temple, where their suspicions had been fulfilled.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A trickle of sweat ran down her forehead.

Fear… The heart-gripping feeling that resided in her at that very moment. She was sure that the Russian beside her could feel it too.

They were here, attacking the temple.

Hiding was a cowardly thing to do, but they had no choice. Everyone else had been caught, and it would have done nobody any good if they got themselves caught as well. Gripping tight to the Ruby of Chaos that Raimundo had entrusted to her, Kimiko tried her best to stay calm. This underground room which had been built about a year ago was the closest thing to being safe right now. It was sealed with a barrier that prevented others from detecting their presence, but even so, they were still unsafe. If they heylin ever found this place, they would be dead in seconds.

Turning to her right, she could see Anya trembling in fear. She had a hand on her belly and was staring wide-eyed at a blank wall.

Kimiko would have tried to comfort her by telling her that they would definitely make it out of this, but right now, she couldn't bring herself to say it. She had completely no knowledge of what was going on up there in the temple. She didn't know how long they would be able to last underground. However, the thing that scared her most was that she still had no idea what had happened to _him_.

She and Anya had overheard the reason for the heylin's invasion. Their target was Raimundo.

They were after his body, she was sure of it.

After so many hours had passed, Kimiko had no clue if Raimundo had been caught by the heylin, or if he was even still alive. As she thought about the possible plights that _he_ might be in at that very moment, her body tensed, and her hands started to tremble.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard loud running footsteps. Immediately, Kimiko got into a fighting stance, facing the long tunnel that led to the outside world, standing protectively in front of her comrade.

The tunnel which connected this room to the entrance was long and windy and was arranged in the form of a maze. Only if the intruder managed to get about five metres from the room itself, would they be able to see them. The floors were made of metal, allowing the sound of thumping footsteps to echo through the tunnel.

She listened. According to the thumping of footsteps, there were two people heading their way, and whoever it was definitely knew their way around these tunnels. They only had less than a minute before they arrived.

As the footsteps quickly grew louder, Kimiko could hear her heart thumping in her chest. Lighting her hands on fire, Kimiko raised her them above her head, ready to launch a barrage of fireballs. But just then, she heard a voice with a familiar Brazilian accent. "Kimiko! Anya! You guys down here!?"

Letting out a loud gasp, Kimiko immediately put out the flames and bolted towards the voice without hesitation. She could hear herself panting loudly as she dashed through tunnel after tunnel. Behind her was Anya who was having a little difficulty keeping up, but she didn't care. Right now her top priority was to determine that the voice belonged to _him_, and that he was well and alive.

Rounding the corner, she found who she was looking for.

"Raimundo!" Slamming into the Brazilian, Kimiko hugged him as tightly as she could. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"What's going off(on)!? Where is everybody? And why is Chase strolling around the temple!?" Omi questioned the two female monks.

"Long story, but right now we need to leave. It isn't safe here." Anya quickly replied, panic evident in her voice.

"Why? What happened, who are they after?" Raimundo asked, directing his question at Kimiko.

"They're… after you." Kimiko replied solemnly. Her eyes narrowed and she hung her head in shame. "After you left, Wuya, Chase and Draco showed up. They threatened to burn down the temple unless we told them where you were..." She paused, trying to hold back tears that were forming in her eyes, but couldn't stop her voice from cracking.

"Master Fung refused to tell them anything, so they..." she didn't manage to finish her sentence before she burst into tears.

"They transported him and everyone else to some other place... We have no idea where they are." Anya finished her sentence.

"Not everyone." Dojo mumbled bitterly to himself, but little did he know that the Japanese to his left heard it.

Kimiko's eyes shot wide open after hearing the dragon's comment. "Someone is still up there!? We need to save them!" However, before she could turn to leave, Raimundo grabbed both her wrists.

"Kim-"

"What are you doing!? Raimundo let go!" Kimiko struggled against his grip, twisting her wrists in an attempt to make him release them.

"Kimi-"

"If someone's still up there, we can't just leave them and-"

"KIMIKO! Listen to me!" Raimundo bellowed, gaining her attention. "Just now, when the three of us got back, we saw Chase sauntering around the training field. So we used the shroud of shadows to take a look at what was going on. We did in fact see some of the monks up there at the temple, but they were gone, dead..."

"So when you couldn't find anyone, you came down here to see if we were hiding here didn't you?" Anya pointed out, receiving a nod from the shoku warrior.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud. The walls shuddered for a moment, causing small pieces of rock to fall from the ceiling.

The monks were stunned for a moment until realisation struck.

The heylin have found them...

In a state of panic, Anya looked to the leader. "What do we do!?"

Without a second thought, the shoku warrior gave out his orders. "Anya, block the entrance with a light barrier for as long as you can."

Focusing all her chi into the palm of her hands, Anya's eyes began to glow a bright green. "Wudai moon, light!"

With the barrier now set, the heylin had to waste precious time trying to break it open. From inside the tunnel, the monks could hear Wuya scream in anger. "You can't hide in there forever, Raimundo!"

They only had barely over two minutes before the barrier would be broken. Very quickly, Raimundo devised a plan to escape. "Later when I give the signal, Dojo will fly all of you guys out. Go take refuge somewhere until you can find some help."

As she thought through the entire plan, Kimiko realised that something was missing. "What about you?"

Raimundo's eyebrows scrunched and his lips formed a frown. Honestly he had been hoping that she would have noticed that hole in his plan. "Their target is me. I'm going to stay here as bait so that you guys can escape. That way-"

"NO! They're after your body! If you do that, they'll do to you what they did to Carlos!" Kimiko violently objected.

"... I know..."

In the midst of her desperation, Kimiko started to beg. "Raimundo please, I beg you, don't do it! I can't lose you like this!"

However, the look of determination on Raimundo's face didn't falter... "Kim, there's no other way-"

"I'll do it." the Japanese willingly volunteered.

"No. It's too dangerous."

"I can do it! After you guys have gotten far enough, I'll use the Golden Tiger Claws in the vault to escape! Why can't you just trust me!?" Kimiko insisted, her eyes pleading for him to oblige.

Grabbing the stubborn girl by the wrist, Raimundo pulled her in for a hug. "Because I can't loose you either..."

All of them knew that the person who stayed as bait probably wasn't going to make it out of here, but no one dared to voice it out.

Tears were flooding Kimiko's eyes, as the thought of dying occupied her mind. Silently, Kimiko slipped the Ruby of Chaos into the pocket of dragon of wind's cargo pants. Then slowly, she started to take a few steps backwards, letting Raimundo's hands slide off her shoulders and fall to his sides.

"I'm really sorry, Rai." Kimiko whispered as her hand dug into her pocket. Raimundo continued to watch her in confusion, but his eyes widened when he saw the shen gong wu that she had pulled out.

He staggered backwards as Kimiko aimed the comb-shaped shen gong wu at him. "Kim, what are you doing!?"

He could see the tears forming in her eyes. It hurt her more than anything to do this to him, but it was what had to be done.

"This is for your own good, Rai." she said, taking a few slow steps forward. "I'm not going to let you die, even if it means that I will… Tangle Web Comb!"

Long tendrils shot out of the shen gong wu, wrapping themselves around the dragon of the wind. He struggled, but they only tightened their grip. Dojo, Omi and Anya could only stare in shock. Never did they think that Kimiko would do such a thing to Raimundo, but they also knew that she was doing this for his sake.

With only twenty seconds left, Dojo morphed into his large form, as Omi helped to carry Raimundo onto the dragon, with Anya close behind.

"Dojo, you need to find Clay. Without him, we're no match for the heylin... I'm really counting on you this time." Kimiko said, earning a nod from Dojo. After which, she did a jump flip, landing on the dragon's back, between Anya and Raimundo.

Only ten seconds left...

Raimundo stared at Kimiko with pleading eyes, but that didn't change her mind. Instead, it only encouraged tears to roll down her face. Unable to curb the surge of emotions, Kimiko wrapped her arms around his neck. He may hate her after this, but right now that didn't matter… Not as much as his life…

Bringing her lips close to his ear, she whispered, "I hope that one day, you'll be able to forgive me..."

3...

With that, she broke the embrace, turning to face the mouth of the tunnel.

2...

Taking a deep breath, Kimiko tried to calm herself down. The barrier was already starting to fade, and the heylin were ready to dash into the tunnel.

1...

"Go!"

With that, Dojo charged for the exit at top speed. But the heylin weren't going to let them escape that easily. Running into the tunnel, they got into fighting stances.

"Wudai neptune, water!"

A large wave of water went gushing through the tunnel, flushing Chase and Wuya out, but merely going through Draco, flooding the entire place.

Right at that very second, Dojo burst through the opening of their hideout, flying about twenty feet off the ground.

Standing up, Kimiko looked into _his_ gorgeous green eyes for what may be the last time, burning them deep into her memory.

'Goodbye Rai...'

With that, she leapt off the airborne dragon, closing her eyes as she gathered her chi. Opening her eyes, she felt a rush of power pulsing through her body. Blue sparks electricity zapped throughout her entire body and started gathering at the palm of her hands.

"Wudai mars, Lightning!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was nothing he could do but watch as the dragon of fire fought her hardest to keep the heylin lords at bay. It was obvious who would eventually emerge as the winner, but either way, she was putting up a good fight. Occasional blasts of green and orange flames lit up the temple grounds, followed by the crashing sounds of crumbling walls.

Slowly but surely, the temple was fading off in the distance. As the dragon disappeared behind the clouds, Raimundo lowered his head, letting the tears stream down his face. The tendrils of the Tangle Web Comb slowly unravelled themselves before shooting back towards the shen gong wu which rested in the pocket of the dragon of fire a few hundred metres down below.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the corner of her eye, she managed to catch a glimpse of the dragon disappearing in the distance, giving her the cue that it was time to leave. A smile spread across her face as she summoned fire in the palms of her hands. Twirling in circles, she created a large fire twister which quickly engulfed her in orange flames.

The immense heat from the tornado of the fire forced the heylin to take a step backwards, and the blinding light caused them to shut their eyes. When they reopened their eyes, the twister was gone, along with the dragon of fire.

Cursing under her breath, Wuya threw a fireball at the ground. Without a doubt, that girl was fast. But as fast as she was, she couldn't have gotten far. Taking a second to think, Chase thought of the one place that she might be heading for, the shen gong wu vault…  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Panting heavily, Kimiko ran down the long flight of stairs, opening drawer after drawer filled with shen gong wu. When she couldn't find the Golden Tiger Claws, she started to panic. She could hear her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

Running down another couple steps, she forced open another drawer, revealing what she was looking for. Slipping the claws onto her left hand, she raised it above her head. But before she could call out its name, she was kicked hard in the stomach by none other than Chase Young. The impact of the kick caused her to lose her balance, tumbling down the last of the stairs, dropping the wu in the process. Pushing herself off the ground, Kimiko bolted for the wu, but was intercepted by long nails encased in black magic.

Wuya lashed out in an attempt to prevent the dragon of fire from getting to the claws. Kimiko did her best to dodge the slashes, but received a few shallow cuts. Delivering a punch to the witch, Kimiko saw an opening, a chance. Lunging forward, she grabbed the wu. Slipping it onto her right hand, Kimiko called its name.

Slashing the wu in mid-air, she created a dimensional rip. "Golden Tiger Claws!"

Picturing Clay's ranch in Texas, Kimiko leapt for the portal. However, inches away from the dimensional rip, Wuya made one final attempt to stop the dragon of fire from escaping. Swiping her nails, she tried to plunge them straight into Kimiko's body. Twisting her body to the right in mid-air, Kimiko attempted to dodge the attack, but instead of the nails skewering through her body, they made a huge and deep gash in the middle of her stomach.

Pain pulsed through her entire being as blood gushed out of the open wound. In the midst of her pain, Kimiko lost her concentration as she fell into the portal. Unable to picture Clay's ranch, Kimiko ended up falling out of the other end of the portal which was located in the middle of the forest located to the west of the temple.

She clutched her wound with her hand as she tried to suppress the pain. She would have created another portal to transport herself to Clay's, but she had dropped the Golden Tiger Claws in the vault at the last second before she fell into the dimensional rip.

With no way out of this mess, Kimiko trudged over to the nearest tree, leaning her back against it for support. Closing her eyes, she clenched her teeth. Tears were flowing down her cheeks.

She was scared.

The forest was so close to the temple. The heylin would be coming for her soon. There was no way of escape, not with her injuries.

Images of the monks flashed through her mind. Somehow they always had the ability to help her calm down. But this time, it wasn't working. The fear in her was overwriting everything else. Even so, she didn't regret it. No matter what, she'd rather that it was her in this position than the love of her life.

The rustling of bushes behind her broke her out of her thoughts. Her body involuntarily stiffened, and her eyes widened in fear.

They were here…

As the rustling grew louder, Kimiko forced her eyes shut, resigning to fate. A tear rolled down her cheeks. Seconds passed and the rustling stopped, but nothing happened. Opening her eyes, Kimiko saw nothing but endless darkness. Confused, she turned towards her left, only to come face to face with brightly glowing red eyes.

A loud scream rang out through the forest, but no one was there to hear it… No one was there to save her this time.

**And that's chapter 20!**  
**OKAY time to tell you guys why this chapter was so incredibly long. I'm going on a holiday for two weeks, so I won't be able to update for a while. But I'm definitely gonna update when I get back. In the meantime, I'll still be able to reply PMs though:)**  
**I hope that you guys enjoyed chapter 20~ And for those who missed Clay, he's coming back next chapter:D  
One more thing, Im a total raikim fan, so for those of you who are wondering, I haven't killed Kimiko, so no worries:)**  
**Please review, I wanna know what you guys thought:)**


	22. Chapter 21 New Host

**HEY ALL:D**

I am sooooooo sorry for not updating for such a long time! I've been a little busy since I got back from my trip, but finally, Chapter 21 is up:) I hope you guys enjoy~

"Clay! Time ta round up the cattle!"

Turning to face the source of the booming voice, Clay clicked the reins of his horse signaling for it to move forward. "Will do, daddy!"

He watched as his father retreated into the barn with a proud smile on his face. This was exactly the kind of person his father had always wanted him to be; a true cowboy. But truth be told, this was nothing like the good old days at the temple. As much as he liked his job at the barn, Clay couldn't help but miss his days at the temple.

Lost in his thoughts, Clay was suddenly brought back to reality when the strong afternoon sunlight was suddenly blocked out. Instinctively, Clay raised his head to look at whatever it was that was casting such a huge shadow over the Texas Plains.

At first, all he saw was a huge snake-like figure flying hundreds of meters over his head, but as he squinted his eyes, Clay realized who it was. It wasn't just a giant flying snake, it was Dojo! Not only that, he wasn't alone. There were three figures sitting atop the fifty foot dragon.

As the dragon started his descend, the wind around him whipped about violently. Clay didn't even make an attempt to try to hold his beloved ten-gallon hat down as it was blown right off his head. His entire mind was occupied by a single question.

'Why only three..?'

As the dragon landed onto Texan land, the wind blew the loose sand from right under Clay's feet, sweeping up the tiny particles and forming huge clouds of sand which and circled around the dragon before settling back onto the ground. As the dust started to clear, Clay managed to make out the three figures who were sitting on the dragon just a minute ago.

Raimundo, Omi and Anya… There was just one person missing; Kimiko.

Quickly, Clay made his way over to his friends as the giant dragon shrunk back down to his miniature form.

"What in tarnation are you guy's doin here!?" the cowboy questioned. However, he got no answers. Everyone merely avoided eye contact with him and wore solemn looks of defeat on their face. Irritated at the lack of response, Clay prompted them, "Well?"

Another few seconds of silence followed before the Russian spoke up. "Clay… We need your help…"

* * *

"YOU WHAT!?"

The loud voice rang through the entire house, causing the dragon to cower into the robes of the yellow monk. Shifting his line of vision, the Texan glared at the zombie-like shoku warrior who hadn't even said a word since the monks arrived.

In the midst of his fury, the cowboy turned on the balls of his feet, slamming his fist into the Brazilian's left cheek. Raimundo's head snapped to his right as he flew back several feet, colliding with the wall behind him. About a second later, the Texan grabbed him by his robes, slamming his back against the wall once more. But even after that, the Brazilian made no move to retaliate. A teardrop left a trail of moisture on his face as he stared blankly into space.

Running over to the two males in an attempt to stop a possible fight from occurring, Anya tried to yank Clay's hand off the shoku warrior's robes. "Clay stop it! You're hurting him, stop it!" she yelled frantically.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Clay bellowed, glaring daggers at the shocked Russian, who slowly backed away from the two.

"Look at me, Raimundo." The Texan growled in a harsh tone. But when the Brazilian made no indication that he was listening, the cowboy rammed him into the wall once more. "I SAID LOOK AT ME!"

As if it was difficult to move his head, Raimundo slowly turned to look Clay in the eye, but his face still wore no expression.

"Do you remember what you said to me before I left?" Clay questioned in a low but scary tone. "You said that you didn't need me around. You said that the team would be better off without me, but just what have you been doing!? I've only be been gone for a few days and you guys are telling me that Master Fung is missing along with half of the temple monks and Kim is probably already dead!?"

Clay paused, taking in a deep breath to try to calm himself down. As he did so, the furious expression was replaced by a look of utmost disappointment.

"…You've really outdone yourself this time Pedrosa…"

With that, the Clay released Raimundo, silently making his way out of the room, leaving the other two monks and Dojo shocked. Raimundo let his back slide down the surface of the wall, falling into a sitting position with one leg outstretched, his face finally showing some form of expression; guilt.

* * *

Nightfall… The quietest time of the day.

Lying on the roof of Clay's house, Raimundo had his hands behind his head as he stared up at the night sky. His emerald eyes were fixed on the brightly glowing full moon that hung majestically in the shroud of endless darkness.

The moon reminded him so much of her…

It glowed in the dark the same way that she used to glow with her radiant beauty. He pictured her smiling, her long raven hair let down from its usual high ponytail and her sapphire eyes shimmering. As images of her flashed through his mind, Raimundo found himself yearning for the dragon of fire.

What his friends said, he didn't believe. Omi's voice rang in his head. "If she did manage to escape, wouldn't she have made it back by now?"

Closing his tear-filled eyes, Raimundo tried his best to convince himself otherwise.

'There's no way she's dead… There's no way she's dead… There-'

"Still countin' the number of days you have left to wallow in your guilt?" came a voice with a heavy accent.

Turning his head to his right, the Brazilian's sorrowful expression turned into a look that clearly reflected his surprise. Standing beside him with a slight smile was Clay. "Couldn't sleep either?" the cowboy asked casually, taking a seat beside the shoku warrior.

Unable to look him in the eye, Raimundo turned his head to look in the opposite direction.

"No…"

There were a few minutes of uncomfortable silence between the two monks as they sat beside one another reminiscing.

"I don't get…" Raimundo finally spoke in a pained voice. "How can you still smile after all this…?"

Looking up at the star-filled sky, Clay let out a heavy sigh before placing a hand on the shoku warrior's shoulder. "Rai, I know you're upset about leaving Kimiko behind, we all are. But Kimiko is not the kind of person who would break her word. If she said that she'd escape, then she will definitely escape… Kimiko is strong, perhaps even stronger than me. Don't worry, she won't just die on us."

A slight smile appeared on Raimundo's face, and he turned to face his large friend. "Thanks man… I needed that…"

"No problem, that's what buddies do." Clay replied, radiating a brotherly aura.

"So we're still buddies?" Raimundo clarified, extending his hand. Clay, who understood, shook the Brazilian's hand. "Always…"

He watched as the Texan got up from where he sat, turning to return to the warmth of the house. Hoping that the cowboy wouldn't hear it, Raimundo whispered his apology, "I'm sorry… For everything…"

The cowboy heard it; his apology. But knowing Raimundo, he was probably too worried about his ego to want him to hear it. So instead of stopping in his tracks, the cowboy continued to advance towards the house, pretending to never have heard the apology. However, he failed to suppress the genuine smile that formed on his face.

* * *

Time passed slowly… Minutes felt like hours, hours felt like days and days felt like weeks…

Painfully, three days had passed, but still no sign of the dragon of fire. Even so, the dragon of the wind continued believing… Believing that she wasn't dead.

Believing that she was going to return safe and sound…

* * *

Jumping out of the dimensional rip, the anonymous figure quickly stowed away the golden tiger claws. It was dark, around midnight. Surveying her surroundings, the figure saw that she was right where she wanted the golden tiger claws to bring her. She was standing in the middle of a dark room, with the Xiaolin monks sleeping soundly on their beds in separate corners of the room.

A dark voice rang in her head. "Bring me the Ruby of Chaos…"

She turned her attention to the sleeping dragon of the wind. 'If anyone is holding onto the Ruby, it's him.'

From where she stood, the figure could hear the shoku warrior mumbling in his sleep. As she advanced towards him, she found what it was looking for. The Ruby of Chaos was clutched tightly within Raimundo's left fist.

The figure hesitantly reached out to grab the wu, but inches away from her goal, she heard Raimundo's audible mumbling.

"Kimiko…"

Letting out a soft gasp, the figure quickly changed her mind, withdrawing her hand.

She couldn't do it…

Once again, the dark voice echoed in her mind. "I can spare them if you bring me the Ruby of Chaos…"

She gritted her teeth, her loyalty debating against her personal feelings. But in the end, feelings triumphed and she soon found herself lunging towards the wu. Her fingers managed to graze the wu's smooth surface before she felt someone painfully grabbing ahold of her wrist. Shifting her vision a little, she gasped when she saw Raimundo glaring at her with hatred in his eyes as he tightened his grip, threatening to crush her bones.

* * *

Raimundo raised his foot, kicking the cloaked figure square in the gut. However, right before his foot managed to connect with her body, the figure had sent a kick of her own, knocking the wu out of his hand.

Glancing between the wu and their opponent, both parties quickly dove for the Ruby of Chaos.

At the same moment, both their hands touched the wu. In response to that, the Ruby of Chaos started glowing brightly.

"Whoever you are, I challenge you to a xiaolin showdown." the dragon of the wind announced, just in time for the other two boys in the room to stir.

The figure, whom he assumed was Wuya, didn't speak; only pulled out the golden tiger claws.

"No. This time, we're not using wu." Raimundo said, smirking. "The game is battle royal, just you and me, Wuya. First to beat down their opponent for fifteen seconds wins."

Her eyes widened. He was seriously intending to beat her up in this showdown. But no matter what, she couldn't refuse the showdown. She needed to get that wu…

"Let's go xiaolin showdown!" Raimundo announced, taking his opponent's silence as a form of consent.

Immediately, their surroundings changed. A huge battle arena appeared, five times the size of a wrestling ring. The rest of the ground around it rose six meters, towering above the arena. The three monks stood on the raised platform, viewing the showdown, cheering the dragon of the wind on. Anya, who had appeared from the neighboring room was half awake and rubbing her tired eyes.

The two challengers stood three meters apart, getting into a fighting stance.

Narrowing her eyes, Anya took a step forward, surveying the cloaked figure. 'That stance… It's so familiar. Where have I seen it before…?'

"Gong yi tanpai!" The dragon of the wind announced, lunging forwards at a great speed with the help of his element.

Raising his fist, he thrusted it at his opponent who turned on the sole of her left foot, sliding her right foot in a semi-circle around her. His fist completely missed his target, but Raimundo recovered quickly, swinging his arm at his opponent. However, the figure grabbed his arm before it connected with her face, using his momentum to swing him out of the way. For a second, Raimundo was back-facing her, and she used that chance to land a kick on the dragon of the wind. Raimundo soon found himself tumbling to the ground, but immediately jumped back to his feet.

The cloaked figure was faster than he thought. In a split second, she was in front of him again, trying to land a punch on his face. Using his right hand, Raimundo grabbed hold of her fist, and aimed a punch at her with his left.

She wanted to dodge the attack, but she couldn't free her hand from his strong grip. With no choice, she blocked his attack with her free hand. Raimundo straightened his leg, sweeping his leg in a semi-circle under his opponent; he tried to trip her. But even with her fist still trapped within his hand, she still managed to jump, dodging the attack.

As she narrowly avoided his leg sweep, relief swept over her, thinking that kick was the end of his frightening combo. However, immediately after that, she caught a glimpse of the smirk on Raimundo's face. Unfortunately he had expected her to dodge in that manner.

Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp when she felt him tug her fist, pulling her head-first towards the ground. In one swift motion, Raimundo raised his leg above shoulder length, slamming it down on his opponent's back.

She whimpered slightly as pain shot through her body. She was smashed to the ground on her stomach, and she swore that she heard a crack when Raimundo's foot came in contact with her body.

Raimundo jumped a couple of feet backwards to create some distance between the two. He watched in satisfaction as Wuya struggled to stand, only to flop back to the ground.

There was a timer counting down the seconds that the witch had left to try to stand.

Only five seconds left…

She could hear the timer ticking away, and the other monks cheering the dragon of the wind on. But she wasn't about to lose, not this time. Holding her breath, she pushed herself off the ground, ignoring the acute pain in her back.

"Hadn't had enough?" Raimundo jeered with a dark smirk on his face.

She didn't reply. Instead, she got back into her fighting stance, ready for the next round of kicks and punches. But before Raimundo could start his attack, he saw green clouds forming on the empty end of the spectator platform from his peripheral vision.

Both challengers ceased their fighting for a moment and gaped at the three heylin lords who appeared from behind the green clouds.

Draco, Chase and… Wuya!?

Raimundo's eyes shot wide open. How could Wuya be standing up there on that platform if she was down here fighting the showdown? Unless…

"Shoku star, Wind!" Thrusting his hands forward, a jet of almost solid wind erupted from the palm of his hands. Completely taken aback by the dragon of the wind's sudden blast of wind, the figure didn't have sufficient time to dodge. Instead, she held up her hands in front of her face, trying to shield herself from the strong blast of wind.

When the winds had subsided, she brought her hands back to her sides. Reopening her eyes, she readied herself for another attack, but was completely unprepared for what she saw.

Raimundo was staring straight at her wide-eyed in shock as his mouth hanged wide open. She raised an eyebrow in confusion. It took her two whole seconds to realize what was really happening. Lifting a hand to confirm her suspicion, her own two sapphire eyes widened. She didn't feel her hood. Apparently, it was blown right off her head during that huge blast of wind.

"K-Kimiko..?" After what felt like eternity, Raimundo managed to find his voice. "Why..?"

Kimiko could feel her throat tighten, and chewed on her lower lip. She lowered her head, completely ashamed of herself. She could feel all seven pairs of eyes fixed on her.

She couldn't find the words to say… There was no excuse for what she was doing.

Slowly, she started backing away. All she wanted to do was run. Run away from this showdown, run away from everything…

But a cold voice stopped her in her tracks. "Kimiko," Chase's voice echoed out, as everyone shifted their attention to the heylin lord. "You remember our little deal, don't you…?"

Raimundo had a look of complete disbelief on his face. He had no idea what was going on.

Treachery?

Blackmail?

Just what was the Kimiko hiding?

"I…"

Kimiko stammered as she recalled what happened back at the temple.

* * *

She could feel the tears pouring down her cheeks as her heart thumped loudly in her chest. Within the thick blanket of darkness, all she could see were those brightly glowing red eyes. Those red eyes that were staring so intently at her…

The glow allowed her to faintly make out the figure standing before her. As the figure raised his hand in front of him, Kimiko could feel herself being lifted from her seating position by an invisible force. As the figure curled his fingers in a manner that looked as if he was strangling someone, she could feel herself choking, as if someone was really grabbing hold of her neck. She tried to move her limbs but to no avail. She couldn't move.

Suddenly she felt an acute pain in the pit of her stomach. Looking down, she tried to figure out what was happening, but all she saw was darkness.

"Why don't you just kill me..?" she asked bitterly as tears continued to slip out of her eyes.

"Now that would just take the fun out of this, wouldn't it?" A voice echoed through the forest, which evidently belonged to none other than Chase Young. "Don't worry, we're not going to kill you just yet. In fact, I have a proposition for you that I think may be of your interest…"

* * *

'Get the Ruby of Chaos, and her friends remain unharmed.' That was the deal.

It was a deal that meant betraying her friends in exchange for their safety. Kimiko knew that even at their best, the monks were no match for the heylin. This was the only way to make sure that they stayed safe.

It was too late for regrets now… She was already halfway through the showdown. All she needed to do, was to win.

"Soaring phoenix, Fire!" Kimiko jumped into the air as orange flames engulfed her entire body. The flames morphed into the shape of a phoenix. Each flaming feather was realistically detailed as the phoenix flapped its gigantic wings.

'Rai, I'm really sorry…'

Letting out a loud cry, the phoenix swooped down at its target. In his own defense, Raimundo threw up a wall of wind to counter the attack. As both attacks collided with each other, there was a loud explosion. A huge black cloud which loomed over the arena was created.

All six spectators waited anxiously for the dust to clear, not knowing the outcome of the previous attack.

Kimiko wandered around aimlessly in the midst of the dark cloud. She coughed loudly, gripping onto the side of her stomach. There was quite a bit of recoil damage from the previous attack due to the wall of wind that Raimundo casted, but she was still well enough to fight. Looking around for the dragon of the wind, she found him desperately trying to stand a few feet away.

Without hesitating, Kimiko sprinted over to make sure he was okay. His skin was badly scorched in several areas and he seemed to be in no shape to fight. "Raimundo, please… Stay down." Kimiko begged as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

No matter what her reason was, she had betrayed them. Glaring daggers at the girl, Raimundo swatted her hand off.

Kimiko could feel her heart breaking as he did so. She tried to explain herself, fighting back tears. "I had to do this…" Unable to accept the treachery of the love of his life, Raimundo refused to listen. Knowing that he didn't have what it took to stand anymore, he looked away.

Fifteen seconds was quickly up, and the showdown ended. In a flash of light, the arena was gone, and all eight of them were once again standing in the bedroom with Kimiko holding onto the Ruby of Chaos.

Extending his hand, Chase prompted for the dragon of fire to give the wu to him.

Kimiko looked between the heylin lord and her friends, before hesitatingly approaching the 1500 year-old warrior.

"This has to be some form of secret elaborate plan that I do not know of, right?" Omi asked, secretly wishing for what he said to be true.

Stopping in her tracks, Kimiko answered in a voice barely above a whisper. "No Omi, it's not…"

After which, she handed the wu over to the heylin lord. Immediately, Draco's eyes turned a bright red, and the four xiaolin monks soon found themselves pinned to the wall behind them by an unseen force. With a large smirk on her face, Wuya lighted a fire in the middle of the palm of her hand. "So, which one should we kill first?"

Immediately, Kimiko stepped between the witch and the xiaolin monks. "Chase, what is the meaning of this!? We had a deal, I give you the Ruby of Chaos and you leave them alone." She demanded for an explanation.

The heylin lord merely chuckled. "How naïve. I said that we COULD spare them, I never said that we WOULD."

Raimundo's eyes widened in realization. She didn't betray them; she was doing it for their sake!

As Wuya threw her first fireball at the shoku warrior, Kimiko quickly put up a wall of fire to defend her friend. That one small act of rebellion turned into an all-out battle. The heylin witch and the dragon of fire hurled large fireballs at one another, smashing through the wall of bedroom, bringing the fight outside. Electricity crackled and fire lit up the area, both parties having every intention to kill.

Watching as Kimiko fought a losing battle, Raimundo struggled against the unseen force, wanting to help. He felt guilty for doubting her for even a second. But like the others, all his struggling was fruitless.

Lighting her leg on fire, Wuya's foot connected with Kimiko's face, sending her slamming onto the ground for the second time that day.

"KIMIKO!" Raimundo called out, struggling even harder, whilst hurling insults at the heylin witch.

Exhausted from the previous fight, Kimiko found herself unable to stand. She lay sprawled on the ground trying to catch her breath, as the heylin witch towered over her weakened form.

"Now for business…" Draco growled, shifting his attention to the dragon of the wind. "Time to claim his body for my own."

"NO!" With a sudden new burst of strength, Kimiko propelled herself forward, wrapping her arms around Raimundo. "Take me instead."

The shoku warrior and the other monks were completely taken aback. To be honest, everyone, including the heylin was.

"Kimiko, what are you doing!?" Raimundo questioned, panic evident in his voice.

The dragon of fire didn't respond. Instead, released her tight embrace and stood protectively in front of the shoku warrior. "I'll willingly take his place."

A wide smile spread across Draco's face. "And what makes you think that I want you?"

"You wanted a queen didn't you? Well, here's my answer." Kimiko replied, not showing any form of hesitance in her voice.

Immediately a magic circle appeared below their feet. Knowing that this meant that something bad was about to happen, Raimundo started yelling his protests. "Draco, take me instead! Leave her alone!"

His yelling fell on deaf ears. The heylin lord and the dragon of fire stood in the middle of the magic circle. Kimiko wore a look of determination while Draco simply looked amused. After a moment of staring, Draco lifted himself off the ground, flying straight for the dragon of fire.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Raimundo stared in horror as Kimiko braced herself to completely lose control of her own body. But a split second before the heylin lord came in contact with her, Raimundo caught a glimpse of Kimiko glancing in his direction.

She looked so relived for some reason, and although her eyes reflected her inner fear, he saw the slight smile on her face right before a bright flash of light blinded his vision.

**I'm gonna go back to updating at least once every week from now on:)  
I have finally gotten to the final part of the story~ Less than 10 chapters to go I THINK.  
Please review! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.**

**NOTE: To those who are panicking, I'm not gona kill Kimiko:) Definitely can't have a story ending by ruining a RAIKIM couple now can I:P**


	23. Chapter 22 The Era of Darkness

**HEY ALL:D**  
**I'm back to updating once a week like I said:) Here's chapter 22~**

The blinding light faded away, allowing their eyes to snap open. But to their horror, they were completely unprepared for what they were about to see.

Standing a few feet away was Kimiko, but she wasn't the same Kimiko that they had always known. Her raven hair had turned silvery white, and her once sparkling sapphire eyes were now blood red. She wore an evil smirk as she played with her long silvery hair, twirling it around her index finger.

Doing a girlish pose, she spoke with the same sweet voice that the real Kimiko always used.

"So, how do I look?"

Wuya narrowed her eyes, approaching Draco's new host. Holding her by the chin, Wuya moved Kimiko's head from side to side, examining her. "My-my… Who knew that white hair suited the little bitch so well-"

"Don't touch her!"

The three heylin lords' attention shifted to the dragon of the wind due to his sudden outburst. Snapping her eyes to the left to look at Raimundo, the new dragon of fire approached him. "What's wrong? You don't like it?" she mocked. Her face was only inches away from his, as she looked him in the eye with a smug look on her face.

He couldn't believe it. One moment she was the Kimiko that he had always known, and the next, she had become a whole different person. She had become someone he didn't know…

Glaring at the heylin lord with hatred and boiling anger, Raimundo growled under his breath. "You'll never get away with this, Draco…"

The smirk on her face widened as she straightened up. "If I recall correctly, the young dragon of darkness said the same thing to me a while back." Spreading out her arms as a gesture to show off his newly-claimed body, Draco continued, "yet look at me now. I'm about to rule the world!"

Raising the hand which held the ruby above his head, Chase had a twisted smile on his face. "Count yourselves lucky to be witnessing the start of a new era. The era of darkness, where the world is ruled by the heylin." The ruby crackled with black sparks of electricity, accumulating energy from the particles around it.

"RUBY OF CHAOS!"

In an instant, the world seemed to have lost its color. The leaves of plants withered in a span of three seconds, leaving the branches of tall standing trees bare. A huge beam of light shot out of the shen gong wu, piercing through the ceiling of the texan-styled house. As the light beam reached the clouds that hung in the night sky, it sent out surges of energy, so concentrated that it was in the form of visible circles of light, pulsing through the Earth.

The monks could only gasp in horror as the Ruby of Chaos spreads its terror. In just mere seconds, the Earth felt dead, as if all the life-force of every individual on the planet had been sucked out.

There was a horrifying look on all three of the heylin lords' faces. The power-hungry look of greed that looked close to insanity. As the new dragon of fire let out a loud menacing laugh, a large tornado of fire was summoned, engulfing the heylin lords in flames. In a flash, the flames were gone, and so were the heylin. Kimiko's loud cackling could still be heard echoing through the place for a solid five seconds even after their disappearance. Feeling the invisible forces that restricted their movement vanish, the remaining four xiaolin monks fell back to the ground.

Before anyone could say anything, Clay made a dash towards the door. Panic was written all over his face as he stumbled over his own foot in a rush. Despite his confusion, Omi could not allow his friend to run off alone and decided to give chase.

Looking out of the gaping hole in the wall, Raimundo froze. The sky was blood red, and a moon hung high in the sky. There was no sun, just a black moon. Earth had fallen into a new era of darkness. Their current situation was so much more severe than he had ever imagined. Now every mortal in the world had turned into cold hard stone.

That was when realization struck him.

Mortal… That's what Clay's family was; mortal.

Shifting his vision a little, Raimundo spotted something shiny from the corner of his eye. He approached it slowly then knelt down before it. Reaching out, he picked up the gold object.

The Golden Tiger Claws continued to shine as he inspected it. A note was carelessly wedged between the gaps of the claws, as if someone was in a rush to hide it properly.

Raimundo quickly slipped the claws into his back pocket, before opening the note. His eyes darted across the crumpled piece of paper as he quickly read through its contents.

The words written were messy and obviously scribbled in a hurry, but it was unmistakably Kimiko's handwriting.

Reading through the note once more, Raimundo let the information sink in. Grabbing the dazed dragon of light by the wrist, he sprinted off in the direction that his two other comrades have ran off in. Anya, who was having trouble keeping up, was practically dragged along, almost tripping over several times as she tried to comprehend what was happening. But as they came to a stop, she realized why…

Standing before them was Mr Bailey, or rather, a rock solid version of him.

Clay stood motionless before his petrified father. His large ten gallon hat casted a shadow over his eyes as his head was tilted downwards in shame. As the eldest in the group, he tried not to show any signs of weakness. But his attempts at holding back his tears were useless. His broad shoulders trembled as he let the salty tears stream down his face.

They had failed, all of them. The world was now in the hands of the heylin. Every single mortal being in the world had been cruelly turned into solid rock. He wanted to curse the origins of the Ruby of Chaos so badly. Such a powerful and dangerous wu should have never been created. All it did was hurt the people around it. What hurt even more was to see that the wu did not affect them, but instead, affected the ones that they cared for the most; the people around them, their family.

Feeling her legs go weak, the dragon of light collapsed onto the floor, her hands covering her face. "We're doomed! The whole world is doomed! We can't do this..!"

"No, we are xiaolin warriors. We must not give in to the forces of evil! We must fight on!" Omi tried to be positive, hoping to somehow motivate the others into fighting, but it was a fruitless attempt.

"What can we do..? We're just a bunch of kids…" Anya pointed out, sounding weak and defeated as she sobbed into her hands, feeling partially responsible for the end of the world.

Raimundo felt sorry for Clay. Out of all the monks, he was the only one with a family. The rest of them were orphans who didn't have mortals for families. The closest that they had to that was Master Fung, but Clay was different. He had a family, and watching his kin turn into hard rock was something that none of them would ever understand.

Placing a hand on the cowboy's shoulder, Raimundo spoke. "Clay, I swear to you on my honor as the shoku warrior that we're gonna fix this. No matter what it takes, we're gonna bring your family back."

"And how do ya think we're gonna do that?" Clay asked, his voice filled with sorrow. "Let's face it, we've lost Rai… There's nothing we can do."

"No, not nothing. I have a plan, but it's dangerous. We'll be risking a lot to go back there, but it's worth a shot." Raimundo said to the dragon of the earth, his voice reflecting his determination to turn the tables around.

Even the younger monks raised their heads to look at their shoku warrior, only to see him holding up a crumpled piece of paper as if that was the answer to all their problems.

It was their last shot. One last shot to find a way to turn the tables around. If this didn't work, they were done for. The gears in his mind had began to turn, conjuring up a plan to sneak back into the xiaolin temple, where they would be able to find what they were looking for…

* * *

Raimundo read through the note for the tenth time that day. The words scribbled by Kimiko weren't in English. They were codes; secret codes, ones made up by the two of them.

He remembered when the two of them would sit on the temple roof, joking and laughing together. Once, Kimiko had suggested that they create some form of secret code, one that only the two of them would understand. Of course, Raimundo agreed to do so as an excuse to spend more time with his crush, the dragon of fire. But neither of them would have ever thought that the code would come in handy one day…

'In the trapdoor underneath Master Fung's bed.

GF-18EX'

That was all that she wrote.

GF-18EX…

What could that mean..? He couldn't understand. Out of all the things she could have written, she decided to write something that wasn't even comprehensible. But it had to mean something, something important. And whatever it is, it's hidden somewhere underneath the temple grounds…

* * *

**I'm really sorry that it was a short and uneventful chapter, but I needed to get the story moving!  
My head is swirling with ideas that I can't seem to put into words:(( In fact, I feel sooo stupid to say this, but I've actually written the last chapter of the story and the chapter before that! So basically, I'm writing backwards... But honestly, I always have a hard time writing uneventful things, so yeah, I'm a little stuck...**

**Please review! It really helps me with my little brain jam!**


	24. Chapter 23 GF-18EX

**HEY ALL:D**  
**Brain jam is officially over, so here's the update~:) Btw, I've written past the halfway mark of the next chapter:) Something big is gonna happen~**

* * *

Earth had fallen…

Everyone and everything had been turned into solid rock. A majestic castle made of stone was raised in the midst of the SaharaDesert to house the proud ruling heylin lords. Several _'lucky'_ cities and villages were released from the curse of the Ruby of Chaos at the price of slavery and their eternal loyalty to the darkness.

Men who were deemed worthy were given positions in the heylin army, which was positioned outside the castle as a wall of protection. Those who were enslaved spent every second of their free time scrubbing the floors of the castle over and over again. Either that or they were used by the heylin as a form of entertainment.

What sort of entertainment? Nobody knew…

Most of the people had never even seen the faces of their new rulers, only heard of them. The only one out of the three heylin lords who ever bothered to show her face to the public was the heylin witch, Wuya. She often went down to the unpetrified villages to give them a warning; a reminder of their loyalty towards the heylin.

There were rumours… Rumours of a man with long jet black hair and snake-like yellow eyes, a cruel heylin warrior who ruled the world alongside one other. That one other person was said to be a beautiful woman with the control over the element of fire. With silvery waist-length hair and piercing blood red eyes, many have rumoured her to be the true mastermind of the heylin's rule. Her words were law, and her orders were carried out without hesitation. Out of fear, no one; not a soul, dared to defy her…

People say that she was the cause of the mysterious disappearances of multiple servants. Once in a while, this silver-haired beauty calls for one of the servants to attend to her in her chambers. Loud, agonizing screams of servants would echo behind the closed doors when that happens.

Basically, you go in… but you don't come out…

* * *

He watched as his latest victim burnt to a crisp, screaming and begging for mercy.

He loved how the fire danced across the squirming figure, engulfing it in its heat. The smell of burning flesh lingered within his chambers after every murder. It was a perfect way of getting rid of those annoying pests that they call, mortals.

A short and clean death.

No bodies. No splattering of blood. But tons of screaming…

Flicking a lock of silver hair behind his shoulders, he sighed. This was dreadfully boring… Getting up from his throne, Draco sauntered leisurely over to the large full length mirror which hung on a wall specially reserved for it.

At first, all he saw was his reflection. His own reflection; his true form. Short silvery hair which was stylishly messy and his own two piercing red eyes; traits that any one of his hosts would have. But the image did not last long. As he called forth the soul that rested within his consciousness, the masculine image began to morph into a figure of petite stature.

The mirror image of himself was completely identical to his current form, except for the colour of her hair and eyes. Her hair was black, and her eyes had returned to their usual shade of blue.

With a slight smile on his face, the heylin lord spoke. "My queen, you've been a little… quiet lately. I'm starting to rather miss your little threats and insults."

The reflection didn't follow his movements. Instead, she folded her arms as a gesture of defiance, turning her head to look in another direction. She'd rather stay locked in his mind than be summoned to look at the heylin lord in the face.

"We now rule the world, my dear. You should be celebrating by my side." he coaxed, but received a hostile reply.

"You proving your cruelty to the world is nothing to be celebrating about." The girl snapped, glaring at the heylin lord from within the mirror. The dragon of fire expected her answer to anger the heylin lord, but instead, his smile only widened.

"And once again, you have forgotten," Draco chuckled, approaching the mirror and placing his palm on its cool surface. "I am you, and you are me… It's not my cruelty that you should be celebrating, it's _ours_."

He paused for a second taking in Kimiko's facial expression. Her face had contorted in a mixture of guilt and sorrow, as she hung her head in shame.

Turning the palm of his hand to face himself, Draco willed the dragon of fire to do the same. Her fingers trembled as she resisted, but her body still did as he wished. Her eyes were fixed on the palm of her hands.

"It was this pair of hands which brought upon the era of darkness. _Your_ hands which have brought upon the deaths of so many." Draco's stare turned blood-thirsty at this point. "No matter how much you deny it, these two hands of yours have already been stained by the blood of the innocent."

He was right… No matter how much she wished that it weren't true, she couldn't deny the fact that it was her who brought upon the downfall of mankind. It was also her powers and _her_body which took the lives of many; _her_ eyes that watched as people were burnt to oblivion.

Straightening up, Draco then turned to exit his chamber for the first time in three months, flicking his long hair in the process. As he did so, the reflection of the dragon of fire started to distort, before vanishing completely, leaving the room empty.

* * *

Three months had past since they found this gigantic ancient library. It was hidden about five miles underneath the xiaolin temple, housing a copy almost every scroll or book ever made in history. At first, it was fascinating to see the enchanted books and scrolls come to life on their own, soaring through the air and reorganizing themselves like magic. But after three months passed, the monks started to lose the feeling of amazement that they used to feel when they saw books flying over their heads.

It was an enchanted library left behind by Dashi himself. Every time a new book or scroll was made, a copy of it was then created at the core of this hidden library. The core was a gleaming ball of untouchable light, which sat at the heart of the library. It is able to magically duplicate a scroll or a book word-for-word, before enchanting it to be able to move on its own. This keeps the library up-to-date and makes sure that everything would always be organized.

Scrolls of ancient dark spells, forbidden spells and xiaolin spells of all sorts were neatly aligned in rows and rows of shelves.

Scrolls of various ways of controlling the different elements made by previous xiaolin dragons were also available to anyone who finds this library. That is why Dashi had this place encased in a barrier so strong, that even after 1500 years, the library was never found. Only the masters of the temple had the knowledge of such a place; even Dojo, whom Dashi trusted, had never been to this place. Anyone else would have never been able to see the trapdoor leading to this library, unless they knew of its existence.

How Kimiko came to know of its existence though, they still didn't know…

Raimundo sighed…

Three solid months had passed, and every day; every second of it was spent looking for the meaning of the code written in _her_ note.

Even after endless searching, they still had no clue as to what it was. The library was so vast and huge that it would take more than an entire lifetime just to scrape through a single section of it. But nevertheless, they were desperate.

Every once in a while, either Omi or Clay would return to the surface to find out what was going on. The information gathered wasn't much, but from what they knew, the heylin were slowly releasing the curse from tiny villages in exchange for their loyalty. Bit by bit, the world was falling under the complete control of the heylin…

Time was running out. And day by day, the pressure was rising…

* * *

"I've found it!" Anya's voice rang out through the large underground room. "GF-18EX! I've found it!"

Immediately, she was surrounded by her comrades, who were trying desperately to push past one another to see the contents of the scroll which was clutched between the palms of her hands.

"I was right all along!" Anya squealed, her excitement and ecstasy evident in her voice. "It's not that we were looking at the wrong sections, it's that 'GF-18EX' doesn't even exist!"

Everyone raised an eyebrow. "What are ya talking about?" Clay asked, confused.

"See this?" Anya said, pointing to the letter 'G' in Kimiko's note. "This isn't actually the letter 'G', in fact, this entire code was misread! It isn't even English letters; it's actually the code of an ancient language!"

"WHAT!?" The shoku warrior bellowed. "You mean to tell me that we've been searching for something that didn't even exist for three whole months!?"

"Apparently… But about a month ago, I had a hunch; a gut feeling that something wasn't right. So I decided to look over the contents of the note once more. It took me two whole months, but I've finally deciphered it by cross-referencing it to-"

"Just get on with it." The dragon of the wind snapped, growing impatient.

Choosing to ignore Raimundo's rudeness, Anya unrolled the scroll in her hand, looking through its contents once more. Pencil markings vandalized the entire scroll as proof of two entire months of hard work. "Basically, the spell that we've been looking for is an ancient Japanese unnamed spell created over 1500 years ago by a King by the name of Zifindel Leofrick III. It is able to remove the soul of demon from its host, permanently ending its life force."

Raimundo was immediately overwhelmed by a surge of emotions; a mixture or happiness and relief. He temporarily lost control of his body and the next thing he knew, his hands had automatically snatched the ancient scroll from the dragon of the light.

Finally…A way to bring the world back to its peaceful state, a way to finally get Kimiko back…

Anya watched as everyone shared the same expression as the shoku warrior who was completely unaware of the drawbacks of this spell. She didn't want to bring down their mood at this point of time, but the consequences would be dire if she didn't.

"Raimundo, there's something that you need to know about this spell…" Anya said in a voice slightly above a whisper, loud enough to catch everyone's attention, and serious enough to wipe the smile of their faces. "This spell reaches inside the host and rips out the demon's soul from within. This causes fatal injuries to the demon, resulting in their permanent elimination. However, when a soul is forcefully being torn away from its host, there is a lot of damage inflicted to the body as well…"

"How serious are those injuries?" The dragon of the wind questioned, his face voided of all his previous joy, and replaced with complete seriousness.

She looked away, afraid to look Raimundo in the eye. "It depends… The damage might lead to the malfunctioning of internal organs and possibly… death…"

Reality hit him like a slap to the face and his expression darkened. The hand which held the scroll tightened its grip, crushing its contents. The others could only watch as the scroll was slowly being crumpled in the palm of his hand, nobody daring to say a word.

Everyone expected for the shoku warrior to show some form of emotion next, but instead of doing so, Raimundo merely dropped the scroll and walked off with a blank expression.

He didn't know how to react... It was a decision between saving the world and saving the love of his life. Torn between two impossible choices, he sprinted off on his own, out of the safety of the hidden library. What he needed was a wake-up call; one that would allow him to put the state of the world over his own wants.

Taking a look at the outside world for himself was a good place to start, but he was completely unprepared to see what the outside world had become…

He wasn't sure if it was because of the three months that he had spent underground, or if it was because the world had changed. It was so different from what he remembered…

The land was dry and barren; dead. The constant chirping of crickets had stopped. It was quiet, too quiet. Even the wind, which used to talk to him, had gone silent. All that was left was the rustling of dried leaves being blown about by gusts of dry air.

Closing his eyes, Raimundo tried to clear his mind. But try as he might, he couldn't keep certain thoughts from flashing across his head.

He thought of the day that he was promoted to Shoku…

He remembered how ecstatic he felt when he was chosen to be the leader. He could recall the disappointment that Omi felt at first when he realized that he wasn't the one. The little guy trusted him; everyone trusted him… They trusted him to be a great leader, one who would be able to prevent a disaster like this from occurring.

Then he remembered Kimiko jumping into his arms upon his promotion and giving him a peck on the cheek. He remembered all those times which they had spent together laughing, crying or just sitting together in silence.

Then his mind then went blank, and _her_voice rang in his head…

_'At first, I was unsure. But just now... hearing that you would fight me if that ever happened, I felt relieved. I felt relieved that if I ever did turn evil, I can always count on you to stop me.'_

He had to make a choice, and as painful as it was, that choice certainly wasn't saving the dragon of fire…

* * *

"Let's get rid of it." The dragon of light suggested after moments of staring at the scroll in silence.

"Are you out of your mind!? This could be our only chance of getting killing Draco, and you want to just get rid of it!?" Dojo shouted.

"But this isn't fair! I mean, this is just… cruel! It's like we're forcing Raimundo to choose between saving Kimiko and killing Draco!"

"I know what you're gettin at, but right now we don't really have a choice." Clay said in a solemn tone. "All I want is for the world to go back to the way it was… I want my family back."

"There has to be another way." The Russian insisted stubbornly. Despite knowing that she probably wasn't going to find anything, Anya continued flipping through book after book filled with ancient spells, frantically hoping for a miracle to happen.

Suddenly, a huge gust of wind swept past the group. The book which the dragon of light was searching through was promptly slammed shut and the scrolls which were hovering above their heads came crashing back down.

Levitating a few feet above their heads was the shoku warrior himself. "Anya, I want you to translate every word on that scroll to me." He ordered as he slowly placed his feet back on the ground, letting the winds subside.

"Why?" Anya questioned, sceptical.

"Cause I'm gonna use that spell," was his short yet dark reply.

"No, we'll find some other way. There has to be some other way, you don't need to force yourself to-"

"I'm not forcing myself to do it okay!? This is my choice! I'm doing this because I want to!" Raimundo bellowed, as if he were pressurising that thought upon himself. Then his voice softened. "I have to do this… For _her_…"

Everyone went silent, but the dragon of light was still unwilling to do it.

"Raimundo is correct." The youngest monk stated, shocking everyone around him. "If Kimiko were here, she would have wanted us to use it too! That is why she left us that note in the first place! She must have already been prepared for such a thing to happen!"

Sighing in defeat, Anya slowly stood up from her seat. About four months into her pregnancy, her belly was starting to show. Her face reflected her hesitance as she placed a hand over her protruding tummy. But after a moment's thought, she turned to face the dragon of the wind. "Alright… But you'll have to promise me something." Looking Raimundo in the eye, she stated her request. "Use it only as a last resort. I want Kimi back…"

All he could do was nod. Even though all of them knew deep down that getting their friend back in one peace was impossible, it was all they could do to try and reassure one another that somehow, everything was going to be okay…  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After days of bitter training, Raimundo and Anya managed to uncover the secrets to using such a dark, ancient spell. It was unorthodox black magic, which meant that anyone who was powerful enough would be able to use it, even without knowing the basics of heylin magic.

With that, the dragon of the wind was able to master the ancient spell without having to learn the heylin arts, which could have corrupted his mind; the same way it corrupted Chase and Wuya's. In only a short span of six days, he was ready.

Ready to strike… Ready to Kill…

Standing atop the temple roof, or at least what was left of it, Raimundo surveyed the temple ruins. All that was left of their once beautiful temple garden was a patch of dried land with huge cracks running along the hardened soil. The debris of fallen walls and toppled pillars lay sprawled over the ground.

His eyes had a far-away look in them as he started to replay the entire plan in his head for the third time that day.

In order to plan a full-fledged attack on the heylin, they first had to know the layout of their territory. It was already a disadvantage on their part that they had to bring the fight to them, but an advantage that they would have if they did so, was the element of surprise. They would be able to carry out a sneak attack on the heylin. But in order to do that, they first needed to know more about the heylin's hideout.

* * *

**And that's chapter 23:) **  
**I know this chapter doesn't have much action or anything, but don't worry, after three months of sitting around, the monks are finally going to do something in the next chapter:) I also have something in store for Draco that will be appearing in either the next chapter or the one after that, so please look forward to it~**


	25. Chapter 24 Fallen

**HEY ALL:D**  
**Here's chapter 24~ I kinda expected to put this up sooner since I already had about half of it written last week, but I decided to re-edit the chapter so it took a little longer than I had expected.**

* * *

Crouching down to conceal himself within the shadows, Raimundo held a hand up to the communicator which was uncomfortably jammed up his left ear. In a low voice, he whispered into the mouthpiece which hung on a thin wire from the device. "Okay, I'm in."

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" came a feminine voice from the other end. "I still don't think snooping around the interior of the castle is such a good idea…"

"Geez, quit acting like an over protective mother, Anya. I'm just gonna take a quick look around and see if I can find Draco's room." The Brazilian said, rolling his eyes as he continued to advance down the long corridor, making sure to stay hidden from sight.

He heard a loud sigh from her. "Fine… But you only have half an hour tops. After that, meet Clay and Omi back outside…" after that, Raimundo just kind of zoned out on the dragon of light as he focused on the mission at hand.

Reaching a split in the corridors, Raimundo stood at the fork of the passageway, weighting his options. However, his time ran out. Hearing footsteps approaching, he had to think fast. Manipulating the air molecules under his feet, Raimundo leapt off the ground, barely managing to grab hold of the chandelier which hung about five meters from the ground. Clinging on, he watched as two servants walked past from the corridor to the right. Narrowing his eyes, Raimundo listened intently to their hushed conversation.

"She's… not going to make it… is she?"

"SHH! Unless you wanna be next, forget about her. Just pretend that nothing ever happened. Besides, this is none of our business anyway."

Suddenly, a loud agonizing scream erupted from the door to the end of the corridor to the right. Raimundo's head instinctively snapped towards the source of the screaming. Turning back, he managed to catch a glimpse of the servant's pained faces, before they ran in the opposite direction of which they came from, hoping to stay out of the mess.

Jumping off the chandelier, the dragon of the wind cushioned his fall with the help of his element before sprinting off in the direction of right passageway. Approaching the door in which the screams were echoing from, he thrust both the palm of his hands forward, sending an offensive pulse of wind which flung the doors of the room wide open.

Assuming a fighting stance, the shoku warrior took cautious steps into the room. He spotted the source of all the agonizing screams and let down his guard, sprinting towards the flaming body which was flopping around helplessly on the ground.

"Shoku star, Wind!" creating a huge gust of wind, Raimundo quickly put out the flames which engulfed the person before him. But it was too late, she was gone… He grimaced. Her hair was singed and her body was burnt beyond recognition. Her skin had melted in certain areas, and angry burnt marks covered the rest.

Then a smug yet familiar voice spoke, "a perfect way to end their pathetic existence, don't you think?"

Turning around, Raimundo spotted the doors which he had entered from closing as a petite female slammed it shut. With a hand still placed against the huge piece of wood, the silver-haired girl twirled around to face him. Her full lips curved into a smile as she eyed the shoku warrior.

"Draco…" Raimundo growled. His throat tightened and suddenly it was hard to breathe.

Detaching herself from the door of her room, the girl then sauntered over to the table which stood by the side of a king-sized bed. Picking up a glass chalice filled with blood red wine, she brought it up to her lips, casually sipping its contents. "So, after three months of hiding, what brings you here today?" she asked.

Trying his best to keep a straight face, Raimundo stood his ground, refusing to be intimidated by the heylin lord.

The silver-haired took small and graceful steps towards the shoku warrior. "Acting tough now are we..?" Draco sneered; circling him the same way a predator circles its prey before going in for the kill.

"But we all know that it's all just an act," she said, standing on her toes, her lips so close that they brushed against his ear. "Nothing more than an _act_."

As she pulled away, increasing the distance between them, a voice entered his ears from his communicator. "Raimundo, get out of there. I've managed to map out the exterior and interior of the castle, so leave. NOW!"

Glancing to his left, Raimundo caught sight of an open window, its curtains flapping in the wind. Without hesitation, he sprinted off in that direction, not stopping to look back at the heylin lord. Right now, his top priority was to regroup with his comrades.

But Draco was one step faster. With a flick of a hand, the windows slammed themselves shut, trapping the dragon of the wind inside the castle.

"Three months I have searched and three months you have evaded me… Today, you've voluntarily presented yourself before me, yet you just expect me to let you escape?" A chuckle escaped her lips as she gently swirled the wine in her glass chalice. "I don't think so…"

Growling, Raimundo cursed under his breath. He gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists tightly. There was no way out, his only option was to fight.

In one swift motion, Raimundo whirled around, intending to slam his balled fist into the heylin lord's face. However, inches away from impact, the heylin lord gracefully spun around, effectively avoiding the punch.

Stumbling a couple of steps, Raimundo was completely unprepared for a foot to connect with his back. As he was forcefully slammed against the hard flooring, Raimundo grunted in pain. Realizing that he was fighting a losing battle, Raimundo knew that he had zero chance of escape, none.

The communicator stuffed in his left ear acted as a tracking device for his teammates to pinpoint his location. However, it could also be used to do just the opposite. If the heylin got their hands on the communicator, they would be able to locate the hidden library where the source of the transmissions sent from Anya was situated. No matter what, the existence of that library needed to remain hidden. Too many secrets to the dark arts receded in there; if the heylin got their hands on them, they were finished.

With his final seconds of freedom, Raimundo ripped out his communicator, despite hearing the protests of the dragon of light, crushing it in the palm of his hand. Looking up, he saw movement within a mirror in his peripheral vision. Shifting his line of focus, Raimundo saw his reflection in the mirror start to distort, quickly morphing into the image of the dragon of fire; the _real_ dragon of fire.

At that very moment, everything else seemed to have gone black and white. His eyes were fixed on the figure that stood trapped within the mirror. The palm of her hands was pressing against the inner surface of the glass, as if willing to free herself from within. Her sapphire eyes were locked onto his emerald ones as tears threatened to spill.

"Kimiko…"

But before she could say anything, Kimiko's line of vision was suddenly switched to focusing on something which stood behind him and her eyes shot wide open. She let out an audible gasp before releasing a loud and horrified shriek, "RAIMUNDO!"

Following her line of sight, Raimundo spun around and was greeted by a sharp pain erupting from his right temple, followed by the sound of shattering glass. The next thing he knew, he saw the silver-haired Kimiko holding the unbroken half of the shattered chalice in her right hand as a she wore a savage and bloodthirsty grin. The edges of the glass were sharp and coated with a layer of blood; his blood.

The rest was a blur to him. About three bulky men had stormed into the room, two of which picked him off the floor and the other one merely bowed down to Draco. Then he heard the heylin lord's orders to the men. "Throw him into the dungeon until I figure out what to do with him."

After that, Raimundo felt himself being dragged unceremoniously out of the room. Everything was foggy and unclear to him due to the huge impact to his head, but Raimundo kept his eyes on his loved one, who was still helplessly trapped.

He watched groggily as she banged her fists against the mirror in protest, yelling his name over and over. She was crying, and had a look of desperation on her face. But as hard as she tried, the dragon of fire was unable to break free. All she could do was beg; beg for the heylin lord to spare him, to release him.

As he disappeared behind the wooden frame of the doors, she made one last desperate attempt to call out to him.

"RAIMUNDO!"

But to no avail. He didn't reappear like she had hoped; he didn't manage to escape…

* * *

"Raimundo!? RAIMUNDO!" the flustered dragon of light shouted into the mouthpiece of her communicator, frantically trying to reach the shoku warrior. However, after several fruitless attempts, she stopped. Jabbing a few buttons on her communicator, she directed her conversation at her remaining three comrades.

"Clay, Dojo, Omi! Rai's in trouble!" Anya yelled into the mouthpiece, panicking. Her eyes were fixed on the three-dimensional magic archive that she had been designing. Three moving dots of multi-colored lights were flashing in the archive, each pinpointing the exact location of each one of her comrades. A deep green for Dojo, bright yellow for Clay, and dark blue for Omi. The only one missing was the white one that indicated Raimundo's location. The communicator given to each of her comrades allowed her to locate them on the magical archive, but once removed, she would no longer be able to track them from the hidden library where she stood. "I can't find him on my archive!"

"What happened!?" came a voice with a thick southern accent.

"I don't know! One second he was saying that he wanted to look for Draco's room, and the next, I could hear Kimiko's voice! After that, I just lost track of him!"

"This is all because Raimundo wanted to sneak(snoop) around the inside of the castle!" Omi accused, still indignant that he wasn't allowed to investigate the interior instead of the Raimundo.

"This isn't the time to be pointing fingers! We need to make sure that kid's okay!" Dojo shouted, his voice blasting into their ears. However, the dragon of light had other plans.

"No! Right now, all of you need to get away from there!" Anya insisted. "If Raimundo really has been captured by the heylin, then all of you are in danger! You guys need to-" But before she could finish her sentence, she was cut off by a high-pitched scream and the deep green speck of light on her archive disappeared.

"D-dojo!?" she called out, hoping for a response, yet none came.

Next came a short cry for help, followed closely by another. The remaining two colored balls of light on her magic archive vanished, leaving nothing but a blank three-dimensional blueprint of both the exterior and interior of the large castle.

"Omi!? …C-Clay..?"

Her reply never came. For the first time in more than a year, Anya felt truly alone; scared and alone…

"Anyone..?"

* * *

His brain throbbed violently in his skull as he was roughly shoved onto the cold hard floor, just in time to hear the iron doors slam shut. Immediately picking himself off the ground, Raimundo spun around, slamming into bars of his prison cell. Despite his hands being chained together in heavy shackles, the shoku warrior thrust the palm of his hands forward, willing to summon a huge jet of wind. However, much to his surprise, the blast of air never came. Trying again, he called forth his element, but to his dismay, nothing happened. The air around him remained stale and unresponsive despite his desperate efforts.

Crying out in frustration, he swung his arm at the bars of his cell, slamming the shackles around his wrists against the hard iron. But as hard as the impact was, it wasn't enough to even make a dent in either shackle or bar.

"Calm yourself, Raimundo. Venting your anger at this point will do you no good." A familiar voice echoed out.

Recognizing that distinctly composed voice, Raimundo stopped his fruitless efforts, turning around to face its source. "Master Fung..?"

Sitting cross-legged in a dark corner of the cell, the master's face was hidden in the shadows, but nevertheless, the shoku warrior could never have mistaken that voice for another's. Approaching the old man, Raimundo sat down before him, wanting to take a closer look. "I don't believe this…"

Raimundo's face wore a look of shock as he surveyed his master. He looked a little disheveled. Having been locked up for over three months, Master Fung was covered in a layer of filth. He looked thinner, weaker and although only a few months had passed, the master looked as if he had aged by years.

"You mean the fact that I am sitting here, or the fact that you've finally gotten yourself caught?" the master asked casually.

Hanging his head in shame, Raimundo let out a heavy sigh. "Both…"

Both master and disciple sat in uncomfortable silence, both parties having a hard time coming up with reassuring words. But in the end, it was the dragon of the wind who broke the silence.

"I've seen her…" he said in a voice just slightly above a whisper. "Kimiko… I've seen her…"

The master didn't reply, just waited for his student to continue. "Dashi's hidden library… How did Kimiko know of its existence? Only the masters of the temple are supposed to know that it exists, even Dojo didn't know about such a place."

"I see that Kimiko had made her decision…" Master Fung said solemnly. "About three months ago, right before the rise of this castle, there was a period of time where Kimiko and I were locked up in the same cell, just like the situation that you and I are in now."

Master Fung watched as Raimundo's face contorted in confusion before continuing. "At that time, she was badly wounded and needed time to recuperate. Therefore, she was locked up for a period of nearly three days before she was sent to complete her deal with the heylin." Master Fung told the dragon of the wind. "Kimiko told me what happened and requested for me to tell her of a method of stopping Draco permanently. I was the one who told her about the library's existence, along with Zifindel's spell."

"So… Does she know about the risks of that spell?" Raimundo questioned, gaining a nod from Master Fung. Raimundo paused for a second, gathering his thoughts. Then suddenly, it dawned on him. "You knew… You knew about the existence of such a spell, you knew that killing the host won't kill the soul residing inside, and you never told us!?"

"Zifindel's spell is heylin magic, Raimundo. You were not yet ready."

Raimundo could feel himself flaring up in anger. Not yet ready!? That was his excuse? Carlos lost his life for nothing because he felt that they were 'not yet ready'!?

"But it seems as though I have greatly underestimated the situation." The master admitted, his shame evident in his voice. "I never thought that it might turn out this way…"

"Master Fung…" Raimundo suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Even a wise man such as Master Fung had underestimated the situation and although the master was at fault for hiding information from them, they couldn't blame him. They were equally at fault; they all were.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Raimundo's mind; an idea so obvious that he felt like a complete idiot for not thinking of it before.

"I'm so stupid!" The shoku warrior mumbled to himself, slapping his hand to his forehead. "If there are two souls in one body, can't we just use the ring of the nine dragons to separate them? Why go through all that trouble with Zifindel's crap if we can just use a shen gong wu?"

"That is because shen gong wu have no effect on him." The master replied, his facial expression darkening. "Draco is no human. He… is a demon…"

* * *

**For those who are wondering who Zifindel is, you will find out in the next chapter:) I have something in store for Draco, and all will be revealed soon. **

**Please Review:) I wanna know what you guys think~ **


	26. Chapter 25 Draco Zifindel De'Ath

**HEY ALL:D **  
**Here's chapter 25:)) **  
**In the previous chapter, I referred to Draco as 'she' cause technically he is a demon in a female body, so I think its easier to picture the scenes in your head if i referred to him as a 'she' instead of a 'he'. **  
**But in this chapter, there's a conversation between Draco and Kimiko, so I'm gonna refer to Draco as 'he' so as to not cause any confusion.**  
**  
Anyways, I shall stop blabbing and go on with the story now.**

* * *

Kimiko watched as yet another victim was burnt into a crisp before her very eyes. She glared at the heylin lord, who stood only a few feet away, viewing the burning sight before him with cold eyes.

"Stop it! I don't want to watch anymore! Let me back into your mind!" The dragon of fire broke down into tears as she banged her fists against the cool mirror surface.

"This is what they deserve…" Draco growled, his eyes reflecting his hatred towards the human being squirming helplessly on the floor. "No mercy..."

"You're cruel and inhumane!" Kimiko cried, glaring daggers at the heylin lord.

"Inhumane…" the heylin lord repeated after the girl, testing how that word sounded from his mouth. He chuckled bitterly, bringing his hand up to cover his face. "Humane, the presence compassion or benevolence… What a joke!"

The dragon of fire opened her mouth to retaliate, but found herself at a loss for words. 'What a joke', just what did he mean by that?

"Humans…" Draco picked up the vase to his left. As he did so, his rage got the better of him as he flung it across the room, listening to it shatter upon impact. "Scum, all of them! They ruined my life, made me into… THIS!" he spat out the last word, disgusted.

Flinching at Draco's sudden outburst, Kimiko felt a pint of sympathy for the heylin lord. Obviously something must have happened over 1500 years ago to evoke such hate towards humans. Suddenly gaining an interest in his side of the story, she stopped her tears from flowing and lowered her voice. "W-what happened?"

"Those creatures... They murdered my mother," the heylin lord replied. "I was only fifteen…"

Her eyes widened in terror. "That's horrible..!"

"That, my dear… was a long time ago…"

* * *

"I'm so stupid! Why can't we just use the ring of the nine dragons to separate them in that case?" The shoku warrior asked no one in particular, slapping his hand to his forehead. "Why go through all that trouble with Zifindel's crap if we can just use a shen gong wu?"

"That is because shen gong wu have no effect on him." The master replied, his facial expression darkening. "Draco is no human. He… is a demon."

Raimundo's eyes widened in shock. Never had he heard of such a thing. Draco, a demon… "So you're telling me that demons exist? T…That's impossible!"

"If dragons such as Dojo exist, I don't see why demons can't."

"Woah… It's like he was born evil." The shoku warrior judged.

"Not all demons are evil, Raimundo. If you truly wish to understand the situation, you'll have to first know about its roots." Master Fung lectured his young student. "Furthermore, I believe that you have the right to know about how Draco came to be."

Raimundo straightened up, his facial expression turned serious as he listened.

"It was over fifteen hundred years ago… There was a kingdom ruled by a great leader, King Zifindel. It was a prospering kingdom, and the people led comfortable lives. However, their happiness did not last… Several years after Zifindel had ascended the throne, he met a mysterious yet beautiful woman. She had silvery hair that seemed to sparkle under the light of the moon. Her eyes were blood red, and they gleamed within the darkness. Taken in by her beauty, Zifindel decided to make her his queen."

"Silver hair and red eyes? That sounds waaay too familiar…" the dragon of the wind interrupted.

"That is correct Raimundo, because that woman… was Draco's mother." the old master said, before continuing with his story.

"Draco was the first born son of King Zifindel and Queen Leufeilia. Following him was a brother by the name of Lloyd. As the first born, Draco was destined to one day rule as the king of this great kingdom, but fate wouldn't allow it. A year before Draco turned sixteen, a disaster struck. His mother, the queen, was executed under the suspicion of being a demon…"

He paused for a second to survey his disciple's shocked expression. "The queen was… a-a demon..?"

"Queen Leufeilia's true identity was Leufeilia Durandal De'Ath; the thirteenth daughter to a family of feared demons." Master Fung said. "Her eldest brother, Diabolus, felt that demons and humans were never meant to be, and as the head of the De'Ath family, he violently opposed Leufeilia's relationship with Zifindel even after twenty years into their blissful marriage. Despite this, Leufeilia was persistent and continued to stay by her lover's side. But little did she know that Zifindel had come across one of the letters sent to her by Diabolus. As the king read its contents, Zifindel had finally realised what he had gotten himself into; he had married a demoness…"

Raimundo's mouth hung wide open as he found himself utterly speechless. A huge lump had formed at the back of his throat, and he swallowed hard.

"Leufeilia's true identity was sadly uncovered by the king himself and despite her countless contributions to the kingdom, its citizens quickly turned on Leufeilia upon the discovery of her true nature." The master told his student in a solemn voice. "Between her two sons, only one was born of the same species as her. That son was Draco."

"…In that case… why was Leufeilia the only one killed?" Raimundo inquired.

"At first, both mother and son were to be executed, but Leufeilia wouldn't allow it. With great demonic powers like hers, Leufeilia could have easily escaped death, but unlike her, Draco could not. That was why Leufeilia struck a deal with the king; her life in exchange for her son's… A public execution was held, and the queen happily accepted her death. Draco was spared, but he lost his status as crown prince to his younger brother, Lloyd."

"What happened to the kingdom later on..?"

"News about the death of the queen travelled quickly. Less than a month had passed before the De'Aths learnt about Leufeilia's tragic end. Enraged, the De'Aths sought revenge. On the night of the full moon, where a demon's powers reaches its peak, Leufeilia's eldest brother, Diabolus De'Ath, single-handedly wiped out the entire kingdom… Nobody was spared, nobody except for the demoness's first born son, Draco."

"But Leufeilia willingly gave up her life! How could they-"

"Raimundo," the master interrupted. "Sometimes life isn't always so simple. With the death of a loved one comes great pain and rage, often leading to revenge…"

When the shoku warrior didn't say anything, the master continued. "Leufeilia may have been an accomplished queen, but the citizen's hatred towards the demons still brought upon her unfortunate death. And despite the deep bonding love that Zifindel and Leufeilia shared, a king had to do what he thought was best for his kingdom."

"This still doesn't explain Draco's fetish for cruelty…" The shoku warrior growled feeling indignant.

"I'm surprised that you have still yet to catch on, Raimundo." Master Fung said, to which the dragon

of the wind raised his eyebrow.

"His hatred towards human-kind has brought upon his cruelty towards them. He hates how they killed his mother many hundreds of years ago just because of what she was born as. He hated how every kind deed that Leufeilia had ever done was written off just because of what she was. And obviously, being brought up by a family of demons who shared that same hatred did nothing to remedy his rage."

Finally, he understood…

Cruelty wasn't something he was born with. It was something that was brought upon him, like a curse which clung onto him for as long as his hatred towards humans still existed. People weren't just born bad, and everyone; even a heylin demon lord, deserved a chance for repentance.

* * *

"And thus my uncle, Diabolos De'Ath, took me in and taught me the ancient heylin arts of the demons. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it…" Although Draco had his back towards her, Kimiko could tell that his face was contorted in a mixture of pain and suffering. Despite harbouring thoughts of murdering the demon, she also felt a pint of pity for him.

"I'm sorry for what happened to Leufeilia…" the dragon of fire whispered solemnly.

"Yeah… She was a great woman." Draco said, turning to face Kimiko. "But that no longer matters. What matters is that now, I have the power; the power to destroy these pathetic excuses for living creatures." His voice sounded so intimidating… So full of hatred which was fuelled by his thirst for vengeance.

However, the dragon of fire didn't agree. Placing a hand on the other side of mirror where she was confined within, she raised her objection. "But this is no reason to be hurting others! All that pain, all that suffering… You're just making them experience what you had to go through!"

"NO! This is NOTHING like what I've been through! You have no idea of the pain of losing someone, losing EVERYTHING just because of what you are; just because people are unable to accept you for who you are!" Draco bellowed. His face was mere inches away from the smooth surface of the mirror which stood between both the dragon of fire and the demon himself as he breathed heavily, his inner suffering reflecting off those ruby eyes…

Speechless, the dragon of fire flashed him a look of disappointment before turning to look away. She didn't want to hear anymore of this. It was a cruel and selfish mindset that he had forced upon himself as a defence mechanism to try to heal the wounds of his childhood. Hoping for him to allow her to take her leave, Kimiko turned to back-face him. Thankfully, he complied and her reflection in the mirror started to distort, before fading away completely, allowing her to slip back into his mind.

* * *

"Master Fung, throughout your entire story, there was something that was bugging me… Something about the King." Raimundo said, narrowing his eyes. "Zifindel… He was the creator of that spell, Zifindel Leofrick III, wasn't he?"

The shoku warrior watched as Master Fung nodded slowly, expecting for the dragon of the wind to voice the rest of his thoughts.

"Why would he need to create a spell that rips out a demon's soul from its host if his wife was the demoness herself? Did Leufeilia take over someone's body like how Draco did with Carlos and Kim?"

"No, nothing like that. It was quite the opposite actually," He said. "Back then, Zifindel was so deeply in love Leufeilia that he couldn't bring himself to accept the fact that his wife was actually a demoness. That is why Zifindel made up a huge story to lie to himself, to force himself to believe that his wife was a human host for the demon, Durandal De'Ath and was not the demoness herself."

"Forcing yourself to believe a lie made up by your own imagination!? That's whack!"

"The human mind is a peculiar thing, Raimundo." Master Fung said, leaning forward, as if hinting something to the shoku warrior. "For the sake of comfort and reassurance, sometimes one chooses to lie to themselves over facing reality, even if they don't realise it."

Thinking back, Raimundo realised what his master had been trying to imply. Many times since Draco's release, he had been constantly forcing thoughts upon himself; thoughts that he had wished were true, hoping that somehow, it might make him feel better. But to his dismay, it never did. "So… he created this spell, hoping that somehow, he could remove the demon which he thought receded inside Leufeilia?"

"Yes, but it did not turn out the way Zifindel had wished for it to. When the spell failed, Leufeilia finally realised what the king had been up to. At first, she tried to reason with him, but unable to take the blow of being in love with a demoness, Zifindel arranged for the death of his wife and their beloved son, Draco."

With that, the Master had reached the end of the Demon, Draco's, tragic childhood story. He gave his student a moment of silence to allow the information to sink in and collect his thoughts. In the midst of the deafening silence, Raimundo found himself contemplating on their next move. With no knowledge of his teammates' well-being and with no way to contact them, the dragon of the wind found himself in a fix. However, despite all of the multiple set-backs that he was facing, the dragon of the wind found himself worrying most about one of them in particular…

"Master Fung, is there… is there really no other way…?" Raimundo asked in a voice just barely above a whisper. His hands were balled into fists and his head was lowered, allowing his fallen bangs to cover his emerald eyes. "Zifindel's spell… I-I can't do it…" He said, as he felt warm tears cascading down his cheeks.

"Believe me young dragon, if there was another way, I would not have told you about Zifindel's spell. I know how reluctant you are to use it, all of us are. But-"

"You don't understand… I'm not just reluctant to do it. I can't… I really can't. " Raimundo said. "It's Kimiko… I can't do this to her."

"Raimundo, life is full of hard choices; some more painful than others. But now isn't the time to be hesitating. The end of the world is approaching, and Draco must be stopped."

Not raising his head, Raimundo spoke. "It's already the end of the world. Draco, Chase and Wuya have won. They rule the world now, how much worse can it get?"

"That is where you are mistaken." Master Fung said, causing Raimundo to raise his head to stare at him in confusion. "It's about to get far worse than you can ever imagine."

Looking at the serious look on his master's face, Raimundo questioned, "What do you mean?"

"In the year that Draco was sealed within the Cube of Draco, he along with Chase Young and the rest of the De'Aths tried to enslave the world in darkness. They began their conquest on the night of a full moon and over a period of two months, they had managed to conquer almost two-thirds of the world. However, their victory did not last long. With the help of the eternal library hidden underneath the temple, Dashi managed to uncover the secrets to the demons' powers. On a night of a full moon, a demon's powers are at its strongest for a short period of time as the human world and the underworld are aligned with the gateway that lies between them. When this happens, demonic aura is able to leak through the gateway, entering the human world and resulting in an increase in a demon's powers." Master Fung explained. "With the help of his newly made shen gong wu, Dashi was able to put an end to the demons' reign. He managed to force the De'Aths back into the underworld before sealing it for all of eternity. It was only years later that he realise that Draco had escaped with the help of Chase Young."

"After that, Dashi sealed Draco in the cube right?" Raimundo said in a manner that was more of a statement than a question. "So that's why we've never heard of the existence of demons… But if Dashi could seal Draco away, why didn't he do the same for Chase? He was responsible for the demon's reign too wasn't he?" Raimundo questioned.

"That was one of Grand Master Dashi's biggest mistakes…" Master Fung said before pausing for a second. His eyebrows furrowed and his expression changed as if remembering something to be ashamed of. "Back then, Dashi was ready to seal Chase Young away as well, but in the end, he just could not go on with it. Back when Chase was on the side of good, he was Dashi's best friend and on the account of their past friendship, Dashi spared him."

"Well look how that turned out…" the dragon of the wind mumbled to nobody in particular in response to what he thought was the most stupid decision of all time.

"Back then, it was a choice. A choice between locking his best friend away for all of eternity and risking the world. Something like what you are experiencing now, is it not?" The master justified, studying the dragon of the wind's change in facial expression. "In the end, despite being spared, Chase Young showed no signs of repentance. He still sought ways and means to bring back the De'Aths from the underworld and continued to seek methods to conquer the world. Plan after plan was uncovered and foiled by Grand Master Dashi, yet time after time Dashi chose to spare Chase Young in hopes that he would one day return to the side of good. But that day never came… Instead, Chase Young took advantage of the mercy bestowed upon him and turned on Dashi. After several years of planning, Chase Young finally decided to put his plan in action. Exactly 10 years after the gateway was sealed, Chase ended Grand Master Dashi's existence… Permanently…"

By then, Raimundo's facial expression had morphed into one of complete horror and shock. "Chase k-killed Dashi..?"

Master Fung could only nod solemnly. He couldn't blame the young warrior far being at a loss for words. He had that same reaction after his master had told him about Dashi's end.

"Raimundo," the master said to get his student's attention. "The night of the full moon is approaching in less than three days. On that night, Draco might try to break the seal that holds the gateway between both worlds shut."

Raimundo's eyes snapped wide open and dreadfully, he knew what the master was about to say next.

"The De'Aths must not be allowed to roam the earth." Master Fung stated, his eyes serious and fierce. "I know this is no easy task Raimundo, but Draco must be stopped… No matter what the cost…"

* * *

**I took a break from the action for a while to explain the past in this chapter.**  
**  
I've always thought of reasons as to why Dashi never appeared in the series (in present time other than in 'in the flesh' arc as a ghostly figure) when other 1500 year old characters like Master Monk Guan and Chase do. So this is my version of the possible reason for that (although its really sad to write that Dashi died:( I love his character! He is so cool~)**  
**And as for Draco, I didn't want him to just be a wacko character who has a fetish for cruelty is just bent on ruling the world, so I gave him a reason to do so:)**

**Actually honestly speaking, I really enjoyed writing this chapter:)) I guess it's because I'm writing about the past so I get to twist the story in any way that I like, which is really fun for me cause you can let your imagination run wild:))  
**

**I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it:)) Oh, and one more thing, I revealed their past through conversation and dialogue cause I didn't want to write the whole thing from a third party's POV. I just wanted to write a rough idea or rather a summary of what I thought should have happened:)**  
**  
I'll really appreciate it if you guys can drop a review and tell me what you think about my crazy idea of their past~~:)**


	27. Chapter 26 Prison Break

**HEY ALL:D  
I am sooo sorry for the late update! You see, my brother fell down this long flight of stairs and broke his leg, so I have to take care of him and cause he's kinda bummed about not being able to go out, I'm trying to spend more time with him to cheer him up. So until he's back own his feet, I'll be updating a little slower than usual, probably not once a week, but once every two weeks. But I'll definitely find time to keep writing and update ASAP:) So once again I'm really sorry to all my readers who are anxiously waiting for an update.**

So without further ado, here's chapter 26:)  


* * *

Burying her head in the palm of her hands, Anya collapsed back into her seat. Just thinking about being alone scared her. She didn't want to be alone… After she arrived at the temple more than a year ago, she had told herself: never again was she going to fall back into her world of loneliness.

But why..? Why did the world have to be so unfair, so cruel?

All she wanted to do was to cry, to just give up and run. Everyone else had fallen, this was the end. There was nothing she could do; there was nothing she was capable of doing. Light wasn't a useful element during a fight and because of that, Anya had always felt useless and weak. Slowly, bit by bit, she started to rely on her comrades during fights and lacked the courage to stand on her own.

As such thoughts raided her mind, Anya bit hard on her lower lip and her hands balled into tight fists. Her eyes welled up in tears as thoughts and images ran through her mind.

_He gave up his life to stop them…_

A memory of Carlos flashed through her head. He was standing meters away, waving and calling out to her, calling her name. His charming smile and handsome features still clearly imprinted in her memory.

_They were ready to risk everything to make sure that others were safe…_

A memory of Raimundo and Kimiko during the heylin's invasion back at the temple came to mind.

Raimundo wore a look of pure determination and his words rang through her head. "Their target is me. I'm going to stay here as bait so that you guys can escape."

Kimiko shared that same look of determination when she stood a few feet away from the dragon of the wind, the Tangle Web Comb in hand. "This is for your own good, Rai. I'm not going to let you die, even if it means that I will…"

_Everyone has been putting their life on the line for this, yet here I am, thinking about running…_

Anya straightened herself, her hand reached out and her fingers curled around the Golden Tiger Claws, which lay on the table barely a meter away.

_It's high time I stopped being dead-weight._

Slipping on the Golden Tiger Claws, Anya stood up from her seat, glancing over at the magical archive. Thanks to the others, it was nearly complete. Only a few blank spots and gaps remained.

Now, it was her turn to finish it.

Her hand instinctively went on to gently rest over her slightly bulging belly. This certainly wasn't the kind of world that she wanted her child to be born in and no matter what it took, she had to do something to change it.

_For the future…  
For the world…_

Raising the claws above her head, Anya called its name before slashing the air before her and a huge purple rip appeared.

Jumping into the dimensional rip, Anya felt new found confidence flood through her mind. As she disappeared into the portal, the rip closed behind her, leaving the eternal library in her wake.

* * *

As he was forced to his knees by two huge and buff men, Clay watched the fight happening before him, silently rooting for his comrade.

Large balls of fire were flung relentlessly in his direction. However, with that help of his agility, Omi managed to dodge the flaming attacks, all while advancing towards the heylin witch. With a quick burst of speed, the monk began his assault.

"Tsunami Strike, Water!"

A high pressured jet of water was blasted in her direction, but Wuya was ready. With a quick sweep of her arm, the witch created a huge wall of green fire between Omi's attack and herself. When fire and water met, the two equally matched elements nullified one another, shrouding the area in a cloud of thick mist.

With his vision reduced to almost zero, Omi wandered about aimlessly within the mist. His hands were balled into fists and ready to strike as he took cautious steps, eyes darting from side to side, looking out for any signs of movement.

Out from the corner of his eye, he spotted a bright green light towards his right, but only realized what it really was when it had gotten only about a meter away from him. He turned to face it before hurling a jet of water to counter-attack the fireball. However, he was taken aback by the sharp pain which erupted from his neck. Everything went black as he flopped to the ground.

Standing behind the fallen monk was the witch herself. Her hand was coated in bright green flames as she towered over his unconscious form, admiring the huge scorch mark that she had created on his neck as her grin widened.

The mist began to clear, and soon, their vision was restored.

Clay watched as Wuya signaled for the men to take them away. As she did so, one of the smaller built men threw Omi over his right shoulder and the two men holding Clay down forced him back onto his feet, before starting to drag him away.

Clay struggled against their grip although he knew that it would do him no good, but stopped when he saw a familiar Russian hiding behind the castle wall and watching the whole scene. His eyes widened as he shook his head, silently begging for her to return to the safety of the library. However, the Russian was stubborn and didn't comply as he had hoped she would.

It took the death of the love of her life and the downfall of her comrades for her to muster the courage to fight. It was going to take a lot more than that to make her back down now.

Giving the cowboy a determined look, Anya slipped back into the shadows before anyone else noticed her presence.

Her current plan was to follow them. One of the missing information on her archive was the location of the dungeon, where the rest of her captured comrades probably were. With any luck, they would lead her to Raimundo and the rest of the captured monks, including Master Fung. From there, she would then have to find a way to bust all comrades out.

They made their way down stretches of corridors and long flights of stairs.

Having to duck behind walls and hiding in the shadows, Anya tried her best to keep up with the group. It would have been so much easier to move about without another life inside of her to worry about, but for now, she just had to deal with it.

One shot, that's all she's got. No mistakes this time…

Having to keep a safe distance from the rest, Anya made sure to stay about half a corridor behind. As the grouped turned the corner, the dragon of light flattened her back against the wall, hesitant to follow.

Five seconds passed before she dared to advance. Her hand glowed with a bright green light as Anya readied herself to attack if the situation required it. Holding her breath, Anya detached herself from the wall before turning sharply. But to her surprise, all she saw was a dead end; no doors and no other way out. It was like they just… disappeared.

Scanning her surroundings to ensure that she was alone, Anya carefully made her way forward. Shrouded in disbelief, the dragon of light placed a hand on the wall which marked the presence of a dead-end, running her fingers across the smooth surface.

It was hard, solid. Nothing should have been able to go past it, nothing except for the Serpent's Tail. But knowing the three heylin lords, they wouldn't just hand over something as powerful as a shen gong wu to their 'human slaves'. The Serpent's Tail, along with all the other wu were probably locked up somewhere within the castle. She didn't know what or where, but there must be some sort of hidden passage around here.

She continued to finger the smooth surface, hoping for a stroke of luck. "C'mon… C'mon, whatever it is that I'm looking for, please be here.'

As her fingers swiped across a crack in the wall, Anya withdrew her hand sharply, her curiosity replaced by shock. The wall… It didn't feel solid anymore; it felt like jelly, almost liquid…

Hesitantly, Anya reached out once more, pressing the tip of her index finger against the liquid-like wall. As if touching the surface of a calm lake, it shimmered and ripples started to form on the surface of the wall.

Anya broke into a wide smile upon her discovery. She had found it!

Now pressing her entire palm against the wall, concentric circles rippled out from her hand and Anya froze for a second, just watching the ever expanding ripples in amazement. Taking a deep breath, she took a bold step, pushing forward.

As expected, her body slipped right through the magical wall and Anya found herself no longer standing in the corridors of the castle. Unlike the brightly lighted hallways, it was dark here. Faint light radiated from the lighted torches which were scarcely hung on the rock walls of this strange cavern. It was damp and droplets of water fell from stalactites, collecting in puddles on the ground as a pungent smell of rust hung in the air.

Wrapping her slim fingers around the wooden handle of the nearest torch, Anya yanked it out of the metal loop which held it in its place on the wall. The tiny flame which danced on its end wasn't much, but using her element to light the way would attract too much attention. This would have to do for now.

Holding the torch in front of her, Anya made her way forward, the Golden Tiger Claws clutched in her free hand. Each time her foot rested upon the puddle-filled ground, a soft splash would echo through the walls of the cavern.

She squinted her eyes as she closed in on another light source. A larger wooden torch, about twice the size of the one in her right hand hung on a stand several meters before her, lighting up the area around it and exposing the huge iron bars of a prison cell to its right.

Throwing her torch aside and stowing away the claws, Anya quickened her pace, breaking into a run. Her feet hit the puddles as the water splashed her all the way up to her thighs, soaking the white leggings that she had worn underneath her xiaolin robes.

Coming to a sudden stop in front of the prison cell, Anya's hands found their way to the iron bars, balling into fists. From where she stood, she could make out two figures sitting in the cell. One of them had his back to her, while the other, despite facing her direction, had his entire face hidden by the shadows which were cast over his face.

"Clay? Omi?" Anya called out, watching as the two men sitting in the shadows of the cell turned to face her. Despite being unable to see their faces, she knew then that those two weren't the people she was looking for.

"Anya..? Is that you?" a familiar voice echoed out, as one of the men stood up and made his way over. As he approached, the shadows shrouding his face faded away under the light of the torch, revealing his distinct features; brown hair and emerald eyes. His hands were held together by heavy shackles and dried blood trailed from his forehead all the way down to his chin.

"Raimundo? ...Master Fung!?"

"H-How did you get here!?" was the only question that his mind could conjure.

She opened her mouth to answer, but before the words could come out, they heard footsteps approaching and their heads snapped towards the direction of the source.

Catching a glimpse of the shen gong wu which the dragon of light was holding onto, Raimundo gave his instructions in a hushed yet panic-stricken voice. "Put out that torch and get in here, now!" he said, gesturing towards the standing torch just a little to her right.

Without a moment's hesitation, Anya gave the stand a hard shove, causing the entire torch to topple over, falling to the ground with a loud clang. The puddles of water on the ground splashed onto the once burning flames, extinguishing them and shrouding the cavern in darkness.

"Who's there!?" Came a authoritative voice which echoed through the walls of the cave. The soft footsteps turned into quick thumping as the person approaching broke into a run.

Swiping the air before her with the Golden Tiger Claws, Anya quickly disappeared into the dimensional rip, reappearing inside the cell.

The light of an approaching torch revealed two buff men running over to investigate the strange clanging that they had heard earlier on.

"No one's here." One of them said, as the other one continued to scan the area, holding his torch up in front of him.

Approaching the cell which housed the master and shoku warrior, the man inserted his torch through the iron bars, trying to light up the cell, squinting his eyes. The light from the torch only managed to light up half of the prison cell and nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him. All he saw were the two males minding their own businesses and sitting casually inside. With an intimidating growl, the man along with his companion left, taking the only source of light with them. After a period of deafening silence, the light had completely faded away, leaving the cavern pitch black.

Sighing in relief, Anya raised her hand above her head and a ball of green light formed in the center of her palm. It rose several feet, hovering above their heads, lighting up their cell. Peeling herself off the wall at the back of the cell, Anya approached the two males who had already snapped out of their casual act. "What do we do now..?"

With a wide smirk on his face, Raimundo got to his feet, taking the Golden Tiger Claws from Anya and slipping it onto his own hand. "Now, it's time to blow this taco stand."

* * *

**This chapter kinda gave Anya a little of the spotlight. In the next chapter, the monks are gonna get reunited (FINALLY). The final battle is coming soon and all the monks, including Kimiko are gonna be giving their all:) **

**Please Review~  
No promises, but I'll try to post up the next chapter by next week:))**


	28. Chapter 27 The Beginning of The End

**HEY ALL:D**  
**Okay I owe all of you guys an apology. I haven't updated in like what, a month? So I'm reallyreallyREALLY sorry to all my readers!  
I'm gonna try my best to update before or by x-mas to make up for my lack of updates lately:)  
**  
**And without further ado, here's chapter 27~**

* * *

"YOU INCOMPETENT FOOLS!"

Her voice thundered through the castle walls, sending the three largely built men cowering to their knees before her, begging for mercy. "F-forgive us your ladyship! We merely left the dungeons for a minute and-"

"SILENCE!" the witch bellowed, her hands lighting up with burning green fire. "You blithering idiots! I'd kill all three of you, but then I'd be left to tell Draco about what you fools have done and-"

"Oh? This sounds interesting," came a calm female voice, which caused everyone in the room to freeze out of fear. It took Wuya a full second to gather the courage to face its source as the flames dancing in the palm of her hands died down. Standing a few meters away and leaning against the door frame with a smile plastered on her face was a girl with silver hair and blood red eyes. Although it was obvious that the girl knew that something was amiss, her tone was calm, yet it remained authoritative. "Tell me what?"

No matter how much she hated to admit it, Wuya knew that Draco was stronger than her, far stronger than her. Incurring the demon's wrath was suicide and the witch soon found herself stammering in the silver-haired's presence. "N-Nothing! I…I have no idea what you're talking about." she lied, quickly followed by a nervous and uncertain laugh.

The smile on the demon's face disappeared and she took a couple of steps forward. "Perhaps I did not make my question clear enough." A circle of fire then surrounded all of them, threatening to burn the living out of the liars. "I give you three seconds to answer me, what exactly did the _four_ of you fools do?" Draco demanded, the flames around them growing with the demon's wrath.

"T-The monks have escaped," one of the bulky men who were kneeling on the ground confessed in a shaky voice.

"What!?" Her hands were clenched into tight fists, emitting steam as if something was burning in the palm of her hands.

"We tried to stop them but-"

Before the man had a chance to state his excuse, his entire body burst into flames. Not a second passed before he was reduced into nothing but ashes, leaving him with insufficient time to even scream.

"What is the meaning of this?" Draco growled, no longer trying to conceal the anger burning within. But the demon's reply never came. Enraged, the silver haired girl then disappeared all of a sudden, reappearing before the witch in a split second. Her hand was wrapped firmly around Wuya's neck, pinning her to the wall. Draco's eyes were fierce and were fixed onto the heylin witch.

"I... I-" Wuya stammered, unable to form any excuses and too afraid to retaliate. "Draco, it was-"

Wuya was interrupted when Draco tightened his grip around her neck, cutting off her oxygen supply. "All I asked was that you make sure that those _pests_ stay in their little cages. Is that really that difficult of a task?"

In a hoarse voice, the witch barely managed to choke out her reply. "No..."

Finally getting a response, the silver haired released her grip on Wuya, allowing the witch to collapse to the ground, desperately gasping for air.

Fire engulfed Draco's hand as the demon looked down at the witch with cold merciless eyes. "You are no longer of any use to me..."

With that, the girl brought down her hand, aiming it straight for the witch's heart. Her face bore no expression as her flaming hand closed in on her target. However, right as her fingertips were about to sink into Wuya's flesh, something wrapped itself around her wrist, stopping her hand from advancing forward.

Snapping her head towards her left, Draco glared daggers at the one who now held onto her wrist. "Let go now, Chase."

"Killing her won't do us any good."

"Sparing her doesn't seem to be working out either." Draco said, the demon's voice returning back to its usual calm tone. "She has already proven her incompetence, and I won't stand for such for such uselessness..." Draco added, glaring at the witch who was still cowering on the floor.

However, the look on Chase's face didn't falter. Instead, it only became more determined as his grip on the girl's wrist tightened.

His grip hurt, but Draco wasn't about to show any form of weakness before his partner. With a look of annoyance clearly imprinted on his face, Draco growled under his breath before wrenching his wrist out of Chase's hold.

Immediately after that, Wuya felt cold fingers wrapping themselves around her neck, lifting her off the ground. However, due to Kimiko's petite stature, Draco only managed to lift the witch centimeters off the flooring even with his hand fully stretched above his head. It was almost comical how Wuya was still able to barely touch the ground with her toes due to Kimiko's height. Despite this, Draco didn't really bother, so long as Wuya got his warning. "This is your last chance, witch," Draco growled, a little irritated that his voice was that of a girl's and not as deep as his usual growl would be. "Find them. I want them found, I want them restrained, and I want them… _alive._"

* * *

Two whole days had past since the monks had escaped, and to the heylin lords' dismay, there had been no trace of them. It was like what happened three months ago; like they just vanished off the face of the earth. And with the full moon hanging above their heads, the time of the worlds' alignment was nearing.

"Only a few minutes left…" Draco whispered to no one in particular as he gazed at the moon, which glowed brightly in the dark starless sky. His face appeared to be expressionless; cold and unfeeling, but his eyes sparkled with various emotions.

Longing…  
Sorrow…  
_Excitement. _

Chase stood under the light of the moon as surveyed his surroundings. The only living things in sight were the demon Draco, the witch Wuya, and himself. The rest of the land around them was barren. The ground was dry and dead, the huge cracks which decorated the hardened soil proved it. Several huge boulders were positioned in a circle around the three heylin lords and a huge stone arch stood majestically between two of them. But the most mysterious thing out of all was the five crystalline megaliths that were levitating about a meter off the ground between the gaps of those boulders. However, the fact that they were levitating wasn't the only mysterious part about the megaliths. There were strange writings of an ancient language carved onto each of them, and they weren't made out of stone, they were made of something more transparent, more glassy, like crystal, allowing the heylin to see their own reflections in them.

Everything was in order. This was the exact place where the gateway to the underworld would appear, and the full moon was already positioned in the sky. Yet, Chase couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, like something was about to go very wrong for them.

"Wuya," Chase called, gaining the witch's attention. "Set up a barrier around us just in case. I don't want an audience."

Wuya nodded, raising her hands above her head to proceed with the spell, but a short comment was enough to stop her.

"Too late," Draco said, in a calm voice that had a sweet ring to it. A cavalry saber materialized in his hand as a smirk spread across his lips, "they're already here…"

As if on cue, Draco spun around with great speed, just in time for his saber to come into contact with another. The two swords clashing caused a loud clang, and the subsequent sliding of the two blades against one another caused sparks to shoot in all directions. The male figure who was suspended in mid air sent a huge burst of air in Draco's direction with a sweep of an arm, before doing a back flip and resting the soles of his feet on the rocky earth. Under the moonlight, his distinct features were visible. The violent winds surrounding him whipped his brown hair about and his forest green eyes sparkled with hatred and determination. His yellow sash stood out from his black shoku robes and his blade of the nebula glistened under the light of the moon.

Shifting into his reptilian form, Chase let out a loud roar before charging towards the Shoku warrior. However, before he could strike at his target, Chase was knocked over by a yellow blur and a sharp pain erupted from his side. Baring his teeth, Chase rolled to his feet just in time to see Omi sending a flying-kick aimed at his head. A simple duck was all he needed to dodge that attack, but a swift kick from a third-party connected with his cheek immediately after the young monk had missed his target. Chase took a step back, eyeing both Omi and Master Fung, who were standing on opposite sides of him, prepared to strike again. He glanced to his left for a brief moment only to see Wuya caught up with battling Clay. She was outmatched by a little, but still managed to hold her ground.

With a loud battle cry, Raimundo lunged for the demon once again, brandishing his sword. About a meter away from Draco, he leapt into the air, bringing down his sword for a clean strike.

Effortlessly, Draco brought up his sword to counter Raimundo's attack, but was caught off guard when the Shoku warrior gripped hold of his saber with his bare hand. Ignoring the blood which flowed freely from his wound, Raimundo swung his blade down at Draco's head. With no weapons to defend himself with, Draco twisted his body towards his left as the sword came down right before his face, grazing his cheek and severing a few stands of his long silver hair. Still in a state of shock, Draco stumbled a few steps backwards, before his wide eyes narrowed and fury took over. With unmatchable speed, he lunged at the dragon of the wind, who was unprepared to dodge such an attack.

His legs seemed to have frozen in their tracks and his body just wouldn't move. Raimundo's eyes widened as the blade drew closer and closer towards the center of his chest. But before it could make contact with his skin, he heard a voice to his right; a voice that was filled with worry and panic, yet strangely familiar, so familiar that it managed to snap him out of his shocked trance.

"Raimundo duck, then punch right in front of you!"

And before his brain could even process what was happening, his body instinctively did as it was told. Dropping to his knees, Raimundo felt the blade slicing through the air directly over his head, before thrusting his fist out in front of him, punching Draco square in the gut, knocking the air right from his lungs and sending him hurtling a few meters backwards. Glancing in the direction where the voice had came from, Raimundo's eyes widened once more and he felt his lungs draw in a sharp intake of breath.

There she was, standing inside the crystalline megalith, in place of Draco's reflection. Her black hair was let loose from its usual high ponytail, and her sapphire eyes reflected her inner hatred as she glared at the demon who had control of her body, smirking with satisfaction at his pain. About a second later, her attention turned to the shoku warrior, whose eyes had never left her. As their gaze met, Raimundo could see the relief in her sapphire orbs as her smirk softened into a smile.

Draco clutched his stomach, letting out an angry growl as he watched Raimundo and Kimiko exchanged a quick glance. The two of them, even if it was only for the briefest of moments, had the same look in their eyes. A look that Draco had longed for Kimiko to give him instead; a look held so many emotions that had been hidden for so long. But the one emotion that caused his anger to surface, was the love that was radiating from their eyes.

_It made him sick._

As a smile spread across the couple's lips, Draco felt his jaw tighten and his hands involuntarily balled into fists. If her love could never be his, then no one else could have it either.

Tonight, _he _was going to die.

Immediately after his mind had conjured up such a thought, Draco spotted the quick change in Kimiko's facial expression. Horror was written all over her face, and her wide eyes switched between the demon and the dragon of the wind, who were currently circling each other with great ferocity in their eyes.

"Raimundo," Kimiko called out as Raimundo neared her whilst circling Draco. He seemed to have heard the secrecy in her voice, for he backed up, moving closer to her to allow her to whisper, but at the same time, he never took his eyes off of Draco for even a second. "He's gonna challenge you to a sword duel," she whispered in a voice that Raimundo could just barely make out, oblivious to the fact that Draco was reading her lips.

A confident smirk found its way to Raimundo face and his grip on his blade tightened. "A sword duel? I can handle a-"

"Don't accept it."

"Of co- Wait, what?" The smirk disappeared from his face, replaced by confusion.

"Don't accept it," Kimiko repeated, only with a more serious tone in her voice. "He's gonna cheat."

His eyes narrowed with suspicion, yet they remained fixed on the heylin lord, who stood several meters in front of the two. "How do you know that-" but before he could finish his sentence, the answer dawned on him. Not only did she know how to dodge Draco strike, she also knew what he was about to do next. It wasn't just a lucky guess, Kimiko was actually-

'Reading my mind…' Draco's eyes widened at his discovery. The fact that both their souls now shared the same mind and body allowed her to see into thoughts!

The demon shifted his attention from the pain in his stomach to his enemies, who were starring at him with new found confidence. So long as they knew what was going on in his head, their victory was absolute. Raising a hand, Draco looked straight into Kimiko's sapphire eyes. "Time for you to take your leave." He growled, and as Raimundo spun around to see what was happening, he noticed the outline of Kimiko's figure beginning to blur and flicker.

"Kimiko!" He then turned to face Draco with rage burning within his emerald eyes. "What did you do to her!?" he bellowed, but only received a smirk as a reply

There was no way that she was just going to roam around in his mind at a crucial time like this. Kimiko clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, doing her best to defy Draco's magic, but it was strong; so strong, that it took almost all of her willpower just to remain visible. "I'm not going anywhere," she spoke with great difficulty, as the flickering was greatly reduced. "It was my fault that things ended up this way… When things got bad, I took matters into my own hands, thinking that somehow, I could make it better. But I was wrong…" She confessed, her eyes sparkling with tears, which she swiftly wiped away with the back of her hand before turning her gaze to the Shoku warrior. "It's time I made it up to you guys… I'm not going anywhere," she repeated, her eyes reflecting her inner confidence.

"The one who's gonna die tonight is you, _Draco_."

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**From the chapter title and its contents, I'm sure that you guys have realized that my story is nearing its end right:) Less than five chapters to go:)**

**Oh, and for those who are wondering what has been going on in the monk's minds for the past two days, it shall be explained in the next chapter:)**

**I would just like to thank everyone who is still reading and following this story, and extra thanks to all of my reviewers:D All of you guys are the reason why I enjoy writing this story soooo much:)**  
**Please read and review!**


	29. Chapter 28 This Is My Battle

**HEY ALL:D**  
**A HUGE thankyou to all my reviewers:D I never thought that I'd get a hundred reviews! THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS! Your reviews really mean A LOT:)**

**Sorry that I couldn't update by Christmas. I was so unsatisfied with this chapter that I had to re-write it like 3 times. So after all that editing, here's Chapter 28:D**

**Hope you guys enjoy this action-packed chapter:)**

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They just stood there, separated by mere meters. Both parties remained unmoving, just waiting; waiting for someone to make a move.

His eyes shifted from the Shoku warrior to the dragon of fire, and then back. He was watching them, studying them for any signs of the first strike. After what felt like all of eternity, he saw it; the ever so slight movement of her lips as she whispered to her comrade. He watched as her lips moved, forming words that he couldn't catch. Anger and irritation welled up inside of him. Kimiko may have the ability to read his mind, but he did not. Several seconds felt like hours and finally, Draco lost the last of his patience. With the hilt of his sword clutched tightly in the palm of his hands, he leapt off the ground for a strike.

With such incredible speed, there wasn't time for Kimiko to think of a counter attack. All she could manage to come up with in that split second was, "Watch your eye!"

The dragon of the wind hurriedly raised his sword to try and parry the blade, but wasn't quick enough. The cold steel grazed his eyelid, deep enough to draw blood, but too shallow cut the eye. Raimundo's vision was clouded by the red liquid which was seeping out of the wound, compelling him to keep his eye shut as he swore mentally.

With a complacent smirk, Draco dropped his blade. Flames danced on the palms of his hands as the metal of his sabre met the ground with a loud clang. One after another, an array of fireballs was flung in Raimundo's direction, threatening to burn the living out of him.

With the help of Kimiko and his control over the wind, Raimundo darted from left to right, effectively dodging the flaming balls of death. Several attacks came close to ending his life, however Raimundo still managed to barely evade them at the last second, only receiving a couple of scorch marks on his skin.

With every step he took, Raimundo found himself that much closer to the demon. Then almost instantly, the huge gap between both enemies was closed, the two of them locked in a battle of both their elements along with their close-combat. Blows were exchanged, some connecting with their target, while others just missed completely. But nevertheless, the two were fighting neck-to-neck.

He did his best, deflecting the Shoku's blows, occasionally attempting a few hits of his own. And although it was just for a second, Draco could have sworn that he saw Raimundo's eyes darting towards his right pocket when he came in for his strike.

It was at that moment that he realised... Just know, in that short whisper, she had told him.

Draco immediately launched himself into the air, twisting. He brought his flaming leg spinning round to catch Raimundo's exposed rib, but with Kimiko's earlier warning, the Shoku was prepared. Using the wind, Raimundo propelled himself towards his left at rapid speed, just in time to dodge an attack that would have surely broken a rib. Thrusting his fist out, he then sent a whirl of wind slamming into Draco and sending him flying.

It was just as Kimiko had predicted; the Key of Sealing flew out of Draco's right pocket upon impact, landing about an arm's length away from the demon. Instantly, Raimundo lunged for the key and as he had anticipated, the second his fingers made contact with the wu, it glowed.

"Draco Zifindel De'Ath, I challenge you to a xiaolin showdown." Raimundo announced, watching the demon's eyes widening significantly upon hearing his name.

Shock. That was the only word to describe how Draco felt at the moment as nostalgia washed over him. 'Draco Zifindel De'Ath'... No one has used that name in an extremely long time. After not being heard for so long, that name sounded foreign, almost weird.

"We both use no wu. It's a one-on-one battle between the both of us." Raimundo announced confidently as if he had long planned for this to happen but then, he paused, hesitating to continue for a second. "The showdown will end when one of us... loses his life."

A confident smirk spread itself across his lips. With a nod, the demon accepted the challenge; however, there was one condition. "I'll accept your challenge, but only if Kimiko returns into my mind."

Draco was met with silence, an indication of Raimundo's reluctance. But a moment later, the dragon of the wind nodded in consent, watching as Draco shifted his line of vision back towards the dragon of fire as if waiting for something to occur. Moments passed, but nothing happened; even after several seconds, Kimiko still stood within the megalith with no intention of leaving.

One step at a time, Raimundo approached the levitating piece of crystal. His face was blank, voided of any form of emotion as he stared into her sapphire eyes.

The palms of her hands were pressed up against the surface of the megalith and Raimundo brought his hand up to do the same. In that very instant, it was as if the cool surface which separated their hands had melted away, allowing their skin to make contact with each other's. All she could do was to stare at the Shoku warrior with worried eyes.

"Rai, don't except it… Please?" her sentence was said in a tone somewhere between that of begging and desperation.

But instead of agreeing to her request, he merely answered her with a question of his own. "Do you trust me..?"

"More than anything, but-"

"Then that's all you need to do. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Raimundo said, his voice strong, determined, yet was barely louder than a whisper, watching the look of hesitation on her face. "Trust me."

Kimiko stood unmoving for several seconds after that.

This wasn't just a showdown; they were fighting to kill. Only one of the two was going to come out of the showdown alive, they all knew that. However, there was something, something in those emerald eyes that made her want to believe that he wasn't going to lose, even if it was Draco who was his opponent.

His everlasting confidence... That was one of his traits which made her fall for him in the first place.

Her lips slowly curved into a slight smile as the outline of her body began to blur.

Raimundo watched as Kimiko's image began to fade, turning translucent as she did. But right before she vanished completely, Kimiko lifted her hand up to the portion of the surface where his face was in front of, sliding her thumb across it, making it seem as though she were touching his cheek. "I believe in you, Rai."

And with that, she disappeared, leaving Raimundo to stare into the blank surface of the megalith.

He closed his eyes, speaking to the wind, yet his words were directed towards the love of his life. "I won't let you down this time… I promise."

The landscape around them started to morph, forcing the battle between the other xiaolin monks and heylin lords to come to a temporary halt. Huge cracks appeared on the ground underneath their feet, crumbling around them and setting up the new arena for the showdown.

Raimundo let out huge breath of air before reopening his eyes. The first thing that caught his attention, was the shining key hanging high above their heads, followed by the fact that he was standing on a rock platform, levitating over a seemingly bottomless chasm. The dragon of the wind shifted his feet a little to get a better view of his surroundings, but as soon as he did, there was a soft knock against his left foot followed by the soft scraping of metal against the ground.

He crouched down to pick up the blade of the nebula, which lay by his foot. Right after, he raised his head and surveyed the area. Several other rock platforms decorated the arena, levitating at different altitudes. But the thing that truly caught his attention was the figure a little to his right.

Standing on a similar platform a short distance away was Draco with his saber in hand.

The rest of their enemies and allies were standing on raised platforms, watching the showdown from a bird's eye view. Usually, before the start of a showdown, there would be lots of cheering coming from his comrades, however today, he was met with nothing but pin-drop silence. This caused feelings of nervousness to grow within him. Raimundo felt his chest tightening, his palms turning sweaty.

It took him several cuts and many scorch marks on his skin to finally get this opportunity. Everyone was counting on him. This was the final battle; just the way they had planned. He couldn't screw up. Not this time…

And as if both parties had heard the thoughts of the other, they announced the start of their battle. "Gong Yi Tanpai!"

As soon as the words left their lips, the platforms jerked to a start, moving in different directions as if they had minds of their own. The sudden movement threw Raimundo out of balance for a moment, causing him to stumble just a little. However, that slight mistake was all the demon needed to initiate his attack. In less than a second, Raimundo was knocked to the ground by Draco with his sword still in hand. They both wrestled on the ground for three short seconds before Draco managed to lift his legs, delivering a kick to Raimundo straight in the gut and sending him flying.

But before the shoku warrior could plunge into the darkness of the chasm, he managed to grab onto a passing-by platform. Raimundo swung his agile body atop the huge levitating piece of rock with ease, landing steadily on it. It was a round platform that was very much larger than the others; about six to seven meters wide.

The perfect arena for a duel.

Draco leapt from one levitating rock to the other, before gracefully flipping up onto the very same platform that Raimundo was standing on. At the very moment when his feet made contact with the ground, Draco quickly swung his blade towards the shoku warrior, aiming straight for his throat.

In response, Raimundo quickly angled his sword to hook Draco's, preventing the demon's blade from slicing through his neck. The swords rang as they clashed in mid air and squealed as they were drawn apart. Draco's blade rebounded off Raimundo's and his hand swung backwards due to the swift momentum conjured from the Shoku's blade, leaving his body unguarded.

Raimundo let out a loud battle cry as he swung the blade of the nebula in a wide arc, speeding up the movement of the blade with his element. The attack was swift, precise and deadly, aimed right for the demon's chest. And despite having a nimble body, it was almost impossible for Draco to dodge. Almost. Letting out a surprised gasp,the demon arched his body backwards, flexing his spine to do a bridge and allowing the blade to merely swing past his face, only missing by millimetres.

The wind that was used to propel the sword moved so quickly that it sliced at his left cheek, leaving behind shallow cuts. However, that was nothing like what the blade would have done if he hadn't dodged in time. Still shocked from that attack, the demon leapt off the ground, doing a back flip to distance himself from Raimundo to give himself a few seconds to recover.

That was close, too close. He glanced around frantically, eyes wild with the frightening thought of losing and the crazed determination to win. His grip on his saber tightened significantly, so much to the point where the palm of his hand had gone white, his hand trembling. Slowly, he raised his sword, pointing it straight at Raimundo. But instead of launching another attack, something unexpected happened. The frown on his face turned into a sudden smirk as his ruby eyes gleamed with excitement.

Raimundo's eyes snapped open instantaneously upon realisation. An audible gasp escaped the shoku warrior's lips just in time to see the demon twisting his wrist, swinging his saber in a clockwise arc aimed straight at his own neck; or rather, _her_ neck.

The blade glistened under the moonlight as it closed in on his throat. But despite this, his face remained calm, unafraid. If anything, he was smiling with anticipation.

Only several inches remained between the blade and its target as the distance continued to rapidly decrease, until…

"WAIT!" a loud protest rang out, followed by the sound of a blade falling to the ground with a loud clang.

The blade jerked to a stop half an inch from the delicate skin of his neck upon that sudden outburst.

Draco couldn't help but allow the smile on his face to widen. Seeing the shocked expression on his enemy's face as he held up both his hands in surrender was priceless. It was a low and cowardly thing to do, but nevertheless, effective. He planned to enjoy this moment thoroughly. "I don't believe this is how your tone should be like when you are requesting or in this case, pleading for something, do you?"

Raimundo felt an involuntary clench in his jaw. This guy, no- this demon was patronizing him! However, Kimiko's life was at stake here, leaving him with no other choice but to do as Draco wished.

"Wait, please…" He unwillingly corrected himself, as he lowered his hands back to his sides. "Don't kill her. I'll… I'll do anything you want."

"Anything?" Draco inquired, not even bothering to conceal how much he was enjoying this moment of superiority.

"Anything."

"Fine," Draco said in a casual tone, his smile never fading, yet something in his eyes betrayed that look; his inner jealousy and hatred for the shoku warrior. "I want you to go down on your knees and beg."

"W-What..?"

"You heard me," Draco replied, his eyes cold. "Go on, beg."

The monks could see the beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead as he contemplated on his next move. Begging was one thing, but kneeling down meant that he was submitting to a Heylin; the ultimate disregard for the ways of the Xiaolin. Raimundo wasn't the kind of man whose pride would forbid him from begging, but going down on his knees, that he couldn't do. After turning to the Heylin side once before, kneeling before a practitioner of its ways was probably one of the most humiliating things he could ever do.

Raimundo's line of sight shifted between the demon and his friends, watching the smug look on the silver-haired's face and the concerned one on the monks'. As his gaze fell onto the now ruby eyes of Kimiko, it lingered there for several seconds.

He was searching; searching those eyes for some sort of familiarity, some sort of answer.

But despite this, Raimundo knew that deep down, he already had his answer.

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, knowing that the others probably wouldn't have approved. However, that didn't matter to him. To him, she was the only thing in this entire world that mattered. And despite the protests from the monks, he dropped to his knees before the demon, watching as Draco's already wide smile grew even wider, showing his pearly set of teeth.

"This is between you and me, leave her out of it. Please… I'm begging you."

The euphoric feeling made its way up to his brain, and as if he had just lost it, Draco laughed. He threw his head up and just laughed; a maniacal laugh that rang out in a voice so high pitched that it sent chills down their spines. The arena quickly fell into silence, allowing Draco's laughter to echo through the hush of night.

Draco swept away the bangs which hid his forehead from sight with the back of his hand, revealing his blood red pupils which had shrunken down to nothing more than mere dots. Still in the midst of his laughter, the demon approached the dragon of the wind, who was still on his knees, his head lowered in shame.

"Not so great now are you, mighty dragon of the wind? If only Kimiko could see the useless, pathetic little boy that you are." Draco mocked with the voice of the dragon of fire.

"Actually, it doesn't matter what you are," Draco said, bending down to level his eyes with Raimundo's. "Because either way, she's mine."

At that very moment, something in him just snapped. Raimundo's fists clenched themselves tightly, filling his hands with loose sand.

Something was welling up inside of him; something strange. It felt hot, as if his stomach had just been set ablaze. He didn't know what was happening, but about a second later, all that accumulated heat was forcefully expelled from his body, radiating in huge surges of intense energy. The winds picked up dramatically, swirling around them, threatening to create a vacuum. Loose soil and dirt particles flew all about as the air whirled around them, turning visible.

Trapped within the tornado that was circling the both of them, Draco's mouth hung slightly open in shock. It was scary. The way that the dragon of the wind rose from the ground like a ragged doll that had just regained control of his body, along with the expression that he wore; that dark, somewhat evil expression that bore all that rage.

His lungs craved oxygen, and unknowingly, Draco drew a sharp intake of breath in response. But it wasn't the gigantic tornado around them that sent chills running down his spine, neither was it the murderous look on the Shoku's face. It was the waves of concentrated energy crackling around him, so intense that they were visible in bolts of bright yellow electricity.

However, the scariest thing was that it didn't hurt Raimundo at all, not the least.

From where they stood, the monks could see everything that was going on, yet all they could do was to stare in awe. Even Master Fung himself was surprised.

With unconcealed excitement, Dojo voiced his thoughts. "That's it! Raimundo's sub-element!"

"But that is not possible, how could that be Raimundo's sub-element? That element, its Kimiko's element..." Omi paused, still trying to believe the amount of raw power that his teammate was releasing.

"That's... Lightning."

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**Yes, Raimundo's sub-element is Lightning too:D  
(Don't worry, I have a reason for doing this:))**

**This chapter is a little longer than the others, so I decided to leave all the explanation of the previous 2 days to Chapter 29.**  
**I'll have to admit that I was really having trouble with this chapter due to all the action and all, so I'll really appreciate it if you guys could review or drop me a PM on what you think about this chapter:)**


	30. Chapter 29 The End (PART 1)

**HEY ALL:D**  
**What's it been, a month? Sorry for not updating sooner. I was actually planning to post 2 chapters at once, but I have this sudden urge to edit Chapter 30, so you guys will just have to sit back and wait a little longer. But in the meantime, here's Chapter 29:) **

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He was seething, furious. This person standing before him wasn't the girl he once knew. She was possessed; her body inhabited by a demon. And just that one thought alone was enough to drive his mind into a raging frenzy.

His eyes glowed a bright white, the winds growing all the more violent as they did. Grey clouds dominated the night sky, shrouding the arena in darkness as stray bolts of lightning flashed in random intervals. One bolt in particular struck the Shoku warrior where he stood, sending jolts of electricity down his system. However, instead of feeling the pain that he was expecting, Raimundo felt reenergized. He held his hands in front of his face, taking a moment to examine them. Occasional surges of electricity sparked from his fingertips, travelling up his arms and sending waves of energy throughout his body.

There was this sudden rush of raw power coursing through his veins.

**_I can no longer run... I have to do this._**

Lighting flowed from his arms, leaving a trail behind it as he held his held out in front of him. Tiny particles of yellow light from the surrounding air particles shot towards the palm of his hand, gathering into a ball of compressed energy and hovering in mid air as yellow sparks of electricity crackled dangerously around it. "You've just messed with the wrong monk," Raimundo growled. In one swift motion, he brought his arm up, crushing the ball of energy as he balled his hand into a fist, allowing sparks of electricity to encase his entire body, turning his entire existence into lightning itself.

He didn't exactly know what he was doing; it was instinct, and he followed it.

Everything started moving in slow motion after that. With his entire body now turned into lightning, Raimundo soon found himself gliding over the rocky terrain at insane speeds that even his own eyes could barely keep up with.

As he skidded past Draco with an invisible cocky smirk, the demon thrust his sword towards the huge bolt of lightning in a frantic attempt to try to stab the Shoku right in the heart. However, the pain never came. As if he were intangible, the sword slid right through him, unaffecting him in any way.

Draco growled. If it was lightning that the Shoku wanted, it was lightning he was going to get.

Blue electricity crackled around the demon, and just like Raimundo, his body morphed into lightning as he kicked off the ground, zooming towards the Shoku warrior with speed to match his enemy's.

Both lightning wielders were too fast to follow with the naked eye. In the dark, the two of them stood out as sparks of yellow and blue from where the rest of the monks stood. It was like watching flashes of light zooming past one another, leaving no rocks or boulders in their wake, creating explosions when both yellow and blue collided. If not for the fact that one of them was going to die, they'd all agree that the fight appeared to look more like a spectacular fireworks display.

Collision after collision left the battlefield in ruins. With that much energy pulsing from their lightning forms, it was no surprise when both challengers of the showdown reverted back into their original forms about half a minute later, exhausted and panting heavily. But right as his body was morphing back into flesh and bone, Raimundo jumped at Draco, both of them hitting the dirt with a painful thud.

They struggled for a few moments, but with the help of Kimiko's tiny frame, Raimundo managed to successfully pin the demon to the ground. He had a hunch that this probably might not work, but even so, he had to give it a shot.

"It doesn't have to be this way Draco, you have to stop this." Raimundo said, holding his opponent down with great difficulty. "These people don't deserve to be turned to stone; you have to let them go."

"No! This is exactly what they deserve," his voice was overloading with hatred. "When the gateway is opened once more, demons will rule. Then the humans will finally realize which one of us is the superior species. They will worship us-"

Draco's sentence was cut short as he was roughly shoved harder into the ground.

"If you open that gateway, there will be no one left in this world to worship anyone!" Raimundo bellowed. "We'll all be dead!"

The crease in Draco's eyebrows looked to be the start of an inner conflict arousing within him. But as Raimundo let his guard down for just a tiny second, the demon turned the tables on him.

There was sudden gravitational force acting on him, weighing him down, which was quickly followed by a pulsing pain to his brain. His eyes were instinctively glued shut for a moment, and the next thing he knew, Raimundo could feel a new pain erupting from his spine as his back was slammed to the ground. His right hand was pinned to the dirt by Draco's foot as his left was desperately trying to remove the arm that was jammed up against his throat. A rather amused smirk was played across Draco's lips.

"Foolish boy, did you really think that a few words from you would change my mind?" He chuckled, "You're naïve, young one. You remind me so much of that fool, Dashi; foolish, naive,_ weak._ "

Raimundo struggled underneath the demon, but an invisible force was holding him down and his throbbing head was making it hard to focus. However, even that wasn't enough to stop him from noticing the change in Draco's expression as he glanced towards the sky, looking for a certain object.

His smirk disappeared, replaced by nothing but fury.

"Where is the Key of Sealing?" Draco growled, gritting his teeth. Each word was said slowly, suggesting that he was trying to suppress his anger. But all that rage was unleashed less than a second later as he jabbed his arm deeper into Raimundo's throat, earning him a satisfactory choke. "_WHERE IS IT!?_"

Despite the burning sensation in his neck, Raimundo managed a smile.

They did it. The death showdown, the big output of energy, the disappearance of the key; everything was going as planned. Without the key, the world was safe. All that was left was for them to rid the world of the demon and get the Ruby of Chaos.

**_I've already fulfilled my role tonight..._**

Raimundo glanced back at his friends for what might be the last time. His master, along with the two monks that he regarded as his best friends stood on the raised platform, eyes brimming with tears as they lowered their heads, knowing what their leader was about to do next. And although he couldn't see her, Raimundo knew the last of his teammates, the dragon of light, was standing on that very same platform as well, granted with the ability to turn invisible thanks to a certain shen gong wu and holding the very key which determined the fate of the world tonight.

Now that it had come down to this, all that was left was for one of them to die; and he would gladly do so… After all, he didn't plan on surviving the night.

A dagger materialised in Draco's free hand, its silver blade shimmering as the demon raised it over his head for a strike. A loud swoosh was heard as the dagger was swung down towards his head, and Raimundo found his entire body stiffening as his eyes instinctively snapped shut.

**_The truth was that I wasn't all that ready to die yet... At least not until I witness the demon's end with my own two eyes._**

His eyes remained shut as he waited for his time in this world to come to an end. However, seconds passed, yet he never felt the pain of the wound. The blade never came in contact with his skull. Raimundo cracked open an eye to ensure that he was in fact still alive, only to find the tip of the blade hovering mere inches away from his face. The arm which was threatening to cut off his supply of air was promptly removed from his neck as the dagger withdrew away from his face, falling to the ground with a loud clang.

"What?" Draco's ruby eyes were wide open in shock. As two separate souls fought over dominance for a single body, he soon found his hands trembling uncontrollably. A surge of pain then erupted from his forehead as if someone had just struck him. The sea of red within his eyes rimmed with a sapphire blue tint and immediately, the Shoku warrior caught onto what was happening before him.

"C'mon Kimiko, fight it!"

The silver haired's eyes flashed between both contrasting colours, before finally settling on a shade of deep sea blue, ringed with a slight tinge of red. But even so, the pounding headache only escalated as the demon tried to force his way back to dominance. "I can't..! He's too powerful!"

"You're stronger than this, I know you are."

"Rai please, I can't hold him back much longer, you have to use _it!"_

Raimundo hesitated. He knew exactly what she was talking about; Zifindel's spell... She was telling him to kill the both of them.

By then, the thumping of her brain was unbearable. Kimiko brought her hands up to both sides of her head, squeezing her eyes shut to try to block out the pain.

"DO IT!"

**_I wasn't the only one who learnt how to use this spell. The reason why I chose death over winning this showdown was so that I wouldn't have to destroy her with my own two hands. All I needed to do was to weaken Draco during this battle and let Anya end both their lives after I've ended my own._** **_That way, at least I wouldn't have to experience the pain of losing her or the guilt of killing her._**

**_At least then I could meet her again in the afterlife..._**

Raimundo felt as though his heart was ripped right out of his chest, slowly being shredded into tiny pieces. He closed his eyes for a second, his emerald orbs glowing a bright yellow as they reopened. Kimiko noticed a ring of bright white light appearing around her feet right before her vision blurred as Draco came back in control. With the last of his energy, Draco turned his entire body into pure electricity once more, ramming himself against the wall of light which sprouted from the white circle underneath his feet. But even in this indestructible form, the moment he came in contact with the barrier, the demon's electricity composed body was painfully rebounded off the wall of light, returning back to his original form before he was slammed hard into the solid ground.

He nervous fit, a timid laugh escaped Draco's lips. "You never fail to surprise me young dragon of the wind." He rose from the dirt, clutching his burnt arm. "But let me ask you one thing... Are you willing to sacrifice this girl, just to get rid of me?"

"This is what she and Carlos would have wanted. Besides, after this, I'll be joining Kim in the afterlife... You see Draco? Unlike you, I have nothing more to lose."

Raimundo's reply was immediate, almost as though the answer was obvious. Upon hearing his reply, Draco's smug expression morphed into one filled with fear and panic. "Y-You wouldn't... You couldn't!"

"Try me." Raimundo took a step forward.

Holding out his dominant hand, Raimundo chanted words of an ancient language. One that only Draco could recognise; the language of the demon's hometown over 1500 years ago.

With that, a bright beam of blinding light struck the heylin lord within the magic circle. There was a loud shriek of pain, two voices fused into one. One was a male's screams, belonging to Draco, the other was a familiar female's screams; Kimiko's screams.

Raimundo watched the scene with a blank and expressionless face, not about to let Draco have the satisfaction of seeing his reluctance. Deep inside, he truly wanted to stop the spell to spare his loved one the pain, but that would give Draco another chance to try and dominate the world. As the xiaolin dragon of the wind and also the leader of the xiaolin warriors, that wasn't an option.

Both who were trapped within the magic circle felt a part of themselves being ripped apart as if someone was tearing their skin off of their flesh. The pain was excruciating, unbearable. The one body that they shared had both hands on its head, and was levitating meters off the ground, screaming with the voice of two separate people.

As the soul of Draco got ripped out of Kimiko's body, a black mist surrounded the girl, slowly gaining the shape of a human with glowing red eyes. Then from one section of his body to the other, Draco's ghostly form, like everyone else under the influence of the Ruby of Chaos, started to turn to stone. Starting from the base of his foot, it spread up to his legs, his body, his arms, and finally, his head. One it was all over, both screams ceased so abruptly, it felt as though they were never heard.

For a moment, everyone thought that it was the end. But suddenly, a huge crack appeared across Draco's body, followed by tiny cracks which ran down the length of his body from head to toe, branching out from the huge crack across his chest. And just as his face was cracked beyond recognition, his body started to disintegrate into nothing but sand, starting from his head. A strong wind blew past, picking up those tiny particles and carrying them away. The sand was scattered all across the globe, landing in secluded places and dry lands, some even ending up sinking to the bottom of the ocean, never to rise to the surface again.

Draco's life force vanished completely after that without a trace. There was a blinding flash of light as everything began morphing back into its original form. The landscape returned to that of the edge of a trench, the floating pieces of rock were once again grounded back to Earth. As they did, so did the dragon of fire.

She plummeted back to Earth head-first. Her eyes were closed, her body unmoving. But even so, she could feel the winds brushing past her skin and whistling into her ears as she fell.

"Typhoon boom, Wind!"

As the ground came rushing towards her, a strong gust of wind cushioned her fall, protecting her from what might have seemed to be inevitable death. As the wind faded off, she was slowly lowered to the ground. It wasn't a second later before strong arms found their way around her, propping up her body.

A world of never ending darkness was calling out to her, beckoning her to be a part of it. A cold, eternal sort of darkness which embedded fear into her very soul. Fear of never walking into the light again; the fear of never waking up for all of eternity...

But before she could embrace the thought of death, she heard a muffled voice

_..._

At first, it was nothing but a mere whisper, speaking words that she couldn't seem to make out. But with ever repetition, it grew louder and clearer. Until finally, could hear it; loud and clear.

_Kimiko!_

That voice... It sounded urgent, panic-stricken. But even so, she could recognise that voice anywhere. It was the voice which always managed to bring warmth to her; it made her feel strong, safe.

She couldn't die yet... For that person, she needed to wake up.

And with all the strength that she could muster, she forced her body to respond. Her eyes slowly opened, only to meet a pair of forest green eyes.

His face was bloodied and bruised, blood still leaking from the cut in his eyelid from earlier on. All those injuries looked painful from every angle, yet a look of relief instantly spread itself across Raimundo's face as he received proof that the dragon of fire was still in fact, alive.

Before she could manage out a single word, she was roughly pulled into a bone-crushing hug. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything…."

Her lips curved into a smile. To others this might sound like some half-baked apology, but she knew him better than that. He never was any good at apologies. To her, this was more than enough.

She wanted nothing more than to just close her eyes and enjoy the moment, but she couldn't. Something was wrong… The way her heartbeat was echoing through her ears in random irregular intervals… It scared her. Something was obviously wasn't right.

_Lub-dub..._

Her body stiffened and she wondered if Raimundo had felt it. However, judging from the fact that he didn't break the embrace, he probably hadn't. There was an involuntary clench in a jaw. It was then where things started to take a turn for the worst.

_Lub-dub…_

That one heartbeat sent a massive wave of pain shooting from her chest all the way up to her skull. Her body cringed in response as a metallic and somewhat salty taste found its way to her mouth. Pushing her way out of the embrace, Kimiko turned towards her right and spat out a mouthful of blood, coughing violently as she did.

From afar, the rest of the monks were still battling both the remaining Heylin lords whilst the dragon of light hid underneath the Shroud of Shadows, standing quite a distance away and watching both the dragon of wind and fire with worried eyes. Anya looked towards the palm of her hands. She could do it; she could help. Healing Kimiko at this point of time was possible for her element if only she could have direct contact with her. However…

She looked to the palm of her hands. Her fingers curled themselves around the Key of Sealing which she had snagged during the midst of the showdown as she chewed on her lower lip. Her orders were to hide with the Key of Sealing and watch everything from a distance until everything was over; no matter what happens, as long as the Key was not in the Heylin's possession, the world would be spared from destruction. But as she watched her friend suffer from a distance, Anya couldn't stand just standing by the sidelines no more. With a quick burst of speed, she bolted towards her two teammates, ignoring the sudden absence of the Shroud of Shadows around her as it fell off her shoulders.

Ten meters soon became five, then four. But before she could close up the rest of the gap between her and her teammates, a sudden impact to her shoulder sent her flying. Her landing was hard as she slid across several feet of dirt, but with the exception of several cuts and possible bruise on her left elbow, she was fine. However, realisation of her loss hit her when she noticed the sudden emptiness in her left hand.

By then, everyone had noticed the dragon of light's fruitless attempt.

"So this is where it went…"

About a meter away from her stood Chase Young. She watched as he bent down to pick up the Key of Sealing which had fallen out of her grasp when he had delivered a kick to her shoulder. She could manage out a gasp as a crooked smile graced the Heylin's lips.

"Finally!"

"No…"

His cackles echoed through the night, masking the sounds of their protests. Straightening out his arm, Chase held the shen gong wu high in the air, bringing the world all that much closer to its end.

"KEY OF SEALING!"

* * *

**AND THAT'S PART ONE OF THE END:D  
I'm sorta still playing around with my writing style, so there may or may not be a difference in the writing styles of each chapter. **  
**Please review and tell me what you guys thought:) I'll be editing the final chapter of Always By Your Side, so constructive criticism will really help LOADS:)  
So until the final chapter is posted, bye~:)**


	31. Chapter 30 The End (PART 2)

**HEY ALL:D  
Sry for the late update, I've been kinda busy lately:(  
I can't believe that this is the last chapter! 30 chapters in total and I owe it all to you, my readers and reviewers:D Thank you for being so supportive and extra thanks to all my reviewers:D I loved reading every single one of your reviews and I thank you for all the feedback you guys have given me:D  
Without further ado, here's chapter 30:)~**

* * *

A bright white light erupted from the key, focusing into a concentrated beam of light, striking the centre of the archway. As it did, the hollow underneath the arc rippled like the surface of water, refracting the steady beam towards the darkness of the abyss. The winds whipped about as the ground underneath their feet shook with great ferocity. The darkness within the endless abyss below started to swirl, mixing with the light from the key and very quickly, a spiralling pattern of alternate black and white was formed directly beneath the cliff's edge.

A huge and terrifying roar rang out and the earth quivered. However, as quickly as it started, it ceased- along with all the tremors.

Deafening silence ensued, the stillness of the night unbearably tense as they held their breaths, afraid to even move a muscle. All eyes were on the swirling portal as they waited; waited for something, anything to happen.

He made to set her back on the ground in order to get a clearer view of what was happening. However, just as he was shifting his arm out from underneath her petite body, a cold sensation around his wrist caught his attention and he looked down to see Kimiko's fingers loosely wrapped around it.

"Be careful."

Raimundo noted the strain in her voice and took that as an estimate of her pain, nodding. Laying her on her back, he stood up and took several daring steps forward and with caution, he bent over, looking beyond the cliff's ledge.

At first, there was nothing. No movement, no sound; just a huge swirling vortex within the abyss. But as Raimundo narrowed his eyes, he realized that the swirling pattern down under wasn't the only thing that he spotted. Almost immediately, a huge black claw, the size of two regular humans, burst out from the darkness, darting straight for him.

He didn't have any time to think or to react. Completely taken aback, a loud gasp escaped his lips as he tumbled backwards, allowing the claw to fly right past his face, missing by mere centimetres. The claws hooked itself onto the cliff's ledge and its muscles visibly tensed; the creature slowly pulling itself through the gateway.

It took several seconds' but Kimiko managed to stumble to his side by the cliff's edge, "Rai-"

"Stay back!"

Kimiko was quickly yanked out of the way, the wind propelling them both several feet from where they stood just in time to dodge a second claw which flattened the ground where they were only a moment ago.

Petrified by fear, Anya turned her attention to the quivering dragon wrapped tightly around her neck as he muttered a name which sent chills down her spine.

"Diabolus…"

Countless human-sized demons then started emerging from the portal, but none of them were what the monks had expected. Demons were always known to look like scary creatures with tails and sharp teeth, but the creatures appearing proved otherwise. With the exception of the talons in place of their hands and huge bat-like wings sprouting from their backs, the demons looked human; better actually, they were beautiful. With silver hair and glowing red eyes, each of the demons appearing looked like models straight out of the front cover of a magazine. They were gorgeous; every one of them.

Snapping out of his shocked trance, Omi thrust both the palm of his hands towards Chase, sending a jet of water at the Heylin lord in a last ditch attempt to reseal the gateway. However the witch was one step ahead of him. Positioning herself between the two, Wuya held up the shen gong wu that she had brought along with her.

"Reversing Mirror!"

The attack was quickly reflected, heading right back at its caster. But with a simple jump flip, the little monk evaded the attack with ease and bolted for the heylin witch before readying himself for another strike. Wuya held up the Reversing Mirror once more, about to call forth its name. However, before she had the chance to, a swift kick was delivered by a certain cowboy, knocking the wu out of her grasp, sending the mirror skidding across the dirt ground before coming to a stop barely a foot away the cliff's edge.

As the key of sealing continued to give off its steady beam of light, more and more demons emerged from the gateway. The De'Aths flapped their wings, taking to the skies, yet made no indication of an attack as they waited for Diabolus to fully emerge from the underworld. By now, his head had fully emerged from the portal. However, unlike the other members of his family, Diabolus's appearance was exactly as the rumours said: sharp teeth, horns and pitch black skin. He looked just like the typical feared demon from storybooks and legends.

He couldn't accept this. After everything they had done, everything that they had sacrificed… This couldn't be the end; it just couldn't. Kicking off the ground, the dragon of the wind bolted for the Heylin lord to assist his comrades in obtaining the key only to be thrown backwards by a ball of scorching green flames.

Raimundo willed for his body to rise and return to combat, but to his dismay his weakened self no longer had the ability to fight and from the look of things, the others weren't doing so well either. Cuts and burns decorated their skin from their frantic battle against the witch as she unleashed a barrage of fireballs flying in all directions

Only seconds remained before Diabolus was let loose upon their world which meant only one thing:

_We've lost…_

Clenching his fists, Raimundo prepared himself to meet his doom, frustration overwriting his growing fear. But just as all the hope that was left in the world was being drained from their very being, the monks heard a familiar female voice cutting through the thick silence.

"REVERSING MIRROR!"

They whipped their heads around, everyone looking towards the source of that sudden outburst.

Standing dangerously close to the cliff's edge with great difficulty and unstable legs was the dragon of fire herself; reversing mirror clutched in both her hands. Kimiko panted heavily as blood trailed from the right corner of her mouth to her chin, but nevertheless, she wore a victorious smirk on her lips at the sight of Chase's eyes widening significantly.

The beam of light from the key turned black, the winds picking up yet again. The earth shook even more violently than before, the cliff threatening to collapse any moment.

"What's going on!?" Anya panicked, voicing out the unheard question residing in everyone's minds.

"The reversing mirror is countering the effects of the key of sealing!" Dojo said in a manner that was closer to that of a shout, desperately clinging onto the Russian's neck so as to not be carried away by the violent winds. "Instead of breaking the seal, the key is now sealing the gateway once more!"

The spiralling within the abyss quickened its pace, turning into a swirling vortex and sucking in every being around it.

The demons flapped their bat-like wings in a desperate attempt to flee from the reverse effects of the gateway but to no avail. Very quickly, they were pulled from the skies before being engulfed by the now tornado-like portal. Even Diabolus, who had barely managed to spread his gigantic wings wasn't spared.

Screams echoed through the night as the demons were being forcefully sent back into the depths of the underworld. Their unsuccessful attempts at clinging onto rocks and ledges left behind nothing more than scratch marks.

The monks cheered in response, feeling nothing but relief wash over them. They- no, _the world _was saved.

"She did it!" Omi's form of congratulations was as such; simple and indirect. "Kimiko did it!"

"Yeah! You go girl!" Raimundo punched his fist in the air and turning to face the dragon of fire. But the wide smile across his lips quickly faded off as soon as he did.

Her eyelids drooped to a close as she felt her limbs go limp. The next thing she knew, she was falling; not to the ground, but off the edge of the cliff where only death awaited.

She heard the whistling of the wind brushing past her cheeks followed by a familiar voice screaming her name.

"KIMIKO!"

With a sudden burst of speed, Raimundo lunged forward, barely managing to grab hold of her hand before he had the chance to plummet towards the underworld.

Hanging by the hand off a cliff and dangling several meters above the portal to the underworld, Kimiko forced her eyes to reopen. The screaming and noises around her just seemed to have died down and all she saw before her was the one brunette that she loved with all her heart. "Rai…"

"It's alright, I've got you. Just hang on!" Raimundo willed for his arm to haul her back up to safety, but try as he might, he couldn't do it. Every cell in his body had the energy sapped out of them during his battle against Draco, leaving him without the strength to save her. Raimundo turned his head to look to his comrades for help, but realised that this was all up to him when he saw the monks locked in battle with the heylin for the Key of Sealing.

Omi and Master Fung had teamed up against Chase, and with the help of multiple shen gong wu, they were clearly having the upper hand. Clay and the rest of the monks were battling Wuya, who was clearly having trouble defending herself against Clay's power-packed attacks. With walls of rock being hurled towards her, Wuya found herself being attacked from all directions, leaving her with no time to conjure up a single spell or attack of her own.

Kimiko could only stare as Raimundo desperately tried to save her and wanted nothing more than to help, however, the effects of Zifindel's spell were kicking in and she could barely keep her eyes open. Her body felt cold and numb, the pain in her chest fading away as fatigue washed over her. Her entire body just stopped responding altogether and Kimiko found herself just staring helplessly into the emerald eyes of the one who was holding onto her hand so desperately.

_I can't lose you._

Suddenly, there was a loud crack and Raimundo felt the friable ledge jerk forward. The earth under his feet was starting to give way. He needed to get them both away from the ledge, now. With all his might, Raimundo tried once more to save the dragon of fire, but like before, it was a fruitless attempt. Instead, his muscles screamed in protest as Kimiko's hand slowly started slipping out of his grasp.

"Rai, let go." Her voice was weak and raspy, but nevertheless, audible. "It won't hold us both."

"NO!" His eyes snapped wide open and he tightened his grip on her hand. "I can't lose you again!"

_Not this time. Please, just this once…_

"Rai if you don't we'll both die. I... I don't want you to die." Kimiko pleaded, using her free hand to try and pry his fingers open. "They still need a leader, the world needs their shoku."

Raimundo gritted his teeth but refused to let go. Up until now, he had been risking everything he desired and everyone he cared about for the sake of this world. Time after time, he had put the one that he loved the most in danger and watched her suffer, but not anymore…. Knowing that he no longer had what it took to save her; Raimundo stopped his futile attempts, but still kept a firm grip on her hand. "The world may need me... but more than anything, I need you, Kim." His emerald eyes met her sapphire ones as his facial expression morphed into one of absolute seriousness. "There is no way that I'll be able to live without you… If you die, I'll die right along with you."

"Raimundo..."

There was a sudden crack, a crack even louder than the one before as Raimundo felt the ground underneath his feet begin to break apart. Knowing that this was probably his end, Raimundo put on a genuine smile; his eyes never leaving hers as he said what he thought would be his last words. "From now on, wherever you are, is where I will be; always by your side."

Immediately after the words had left his lips, the ledge crumbled under his feet, sending both Raimundo and Kimiko tumbling head-first towards the portal below.

The wind around her whipped her hair about as heart-wrenching fear started to take over. With her hand still in Raimundo's, Kimiko tightened her grip. Never again was she going to let go of this hand that she now held in hers.

As if he could feel the fear living within her, Raimundo pulled her by their link hands and into his arms. One hand wrapped itself firmly around her waist and the other swiftly went to rest over her head, which was now fitted perfectly under his chin. Death didn't scare him, not as long as he knew that with this, he would be able to spend the rest of eternity with her in the next world.

Hugging his body close to hers, Kimiko buried her head in his well-toned chest, bracing herself to be warped into the underworld where they would surely meet their end. Despite being seconds away from death, having his strong arms around her made her feel safe, as if he would always be there for her no matter what happened next. A gentle smile graced her lips as fatigue washed over her and her eyes slowly began to close, her mind filled with nothing but the final words that he had said to her.

_'Always by your side...'_

As the two closed in on the portal, two voices rang out through the night. The first had a thick cowboy accent, while the second sounded a little less mature than the first.

"Lasso Boa-Boa!"

"Mikado Arm!"

Immediately after that, Raimundo felt the rope-like shen gong wu wrap around his torso. His eyes snapped wide open as his body jerked to a stop only several inches away from the portal, with Kimiko still in his arms. The suction force of the portal below was strong, but nevertheless, thanks to the super strength granted to Omi who had used the Mikado Arm, his two teammates were able to haul both the dragons of wind and fire back up to safety.

With the help of Anya, the two were brought back to safe ground just in time to see the gateway between the two worlds closing with a bright flash of light, sealing the demons back into the underworld once again. Raimundo lay flat on his back, still in shock from what had happened. From his peripheral vision, he could see Kimiko lying on her side, facing the opposite direction and assumed that she was doing the same.

He couldn't believe it… For a moment there, he was actually prepared to die.

Whilst lost in his thoughts, Raimundo didn't notice that both Omi and Clay had disappeared; neither did he notice the fight that was occurring only several meters away from where he lay. Only after something was flung towards his direction, did he realize what was happening around him. Snapping out of his shocked trance, Raimundo back-flipped into a standing position and assumed a fighting stance, just in time to dodge the black fireball which scorched the area where he was lying just a second ago. The battle between the two remaining heylin lords and his two male comrades and master was still raging on. Surprisingly, the two heylin lords were able to block every single attack that the xiaolin were throwing at them, but were just barely hanging on.

His entire body ached to join in the fight, but there was someone holding him back; someone precious that he needed to protect. The shoku warrior glanced over his shoulder to see a bright green light shining from the hands of the dragon of light as her hands hovered over Kimiko's now unconscious form in an attempt to heal the extensive damage done to the girl's body. "Go, I'll take it from here," Anya said, turning her attention towards him for a second.

A simple thanks was all he said before he broke into a run, however the slight curve of his lips and the tone of his voice clearly expressed his gratitude. As he approached the fight, he picked up the almost forgotten blade of the nebula from the dirt ground, taking a swing at Chase and to his immense surprise, drew blood.

He froze. A blood-curling scream rang out from his unexpected victim as her blood stained the soil underneath.

The witch's face was contorted in pain as the crimson red liquid continued to pour out of the huge gash in her abdomen and with great difficulty, Wuya looked over her shoulder to look the heylin lord in the eye. "C-Chase? How…could you?" She coughed once, twice, before her body crumpled to the ground, her eyes glazed over as all movement ceased.

Raimundo held back the immense desire to hurl; the fact that not a scrap of guilt was played on the heylin lord's face disgusted him to no end. At that very moment before Raimundo's blade had the chance to slice clean though his neck, Chase had- without a second thought- pushed the witch right out in front of him to receive the lethal strike in his place. Yet he now stood before them with a cold and heartless expression which was clearly void of any form of remorse for his double-cross.

One who has lived on for over 1500 years such as he would most definitely know a defeat when he saw it. His right hand dug deep into the hidden compartment of his armour, fishing out the very two shen gong wu that the monks were fighting for. The moonlight reflected off the shiny surface of the Key of Sealing and Ruby of Chaos as Chase tossed the shen gong wu high into the air. With two mystical items up for grabs, the monks took their attention off of the heylin lord for a second to lunge for the two shen gong wu. Black flames swirled effortlessly around the heylin lord, forcing the monks back by several steps and in a flash, Chase was gone; the flames rapidly dying down as his voice lingered in the air.

"This isn't over."

"No it has not! Raimundo, we must cease our dally dilly and give chase." Omi insisted, but received no reply. He turned around to see the shoku warrior making his way away from the group in a hurry. "Raimundo?" The young monk made to follow, but was stopped by an outstretched hand and traced up the arm with his line of sight to see his master standing right next to him. He sent Clay a questioning look, only receiving a sad shake of a head in return.

The boy watched as his older teammate kneeling before the dragon of light, cradling Kimiko's limp body in his arms.

The first to speak was Raimundo and although Omi couldn't quite hear what the short conversation between Raimundo and Anya was about, he could guess; everyone could. Raimundo's lips moved only slightly as he spoke, a short pause rested between his question and her hesitant reply. In the silence of the night, her sobs were obvious as she lowered her head.

"No..."

Raimundo could feel his eyes going wide, tears threatening to spill. His arms wrapped around the girl's petite body, hugging her close. "She's still in there somewhere, she has to be."

_Why won't you move? Say something!_  
_Please please please..._

"I'm sorry."

It was at that very moment where the tears started to fall with seemingly no end and as if the sky felt his pain, raindrops fell; the grey clouds that no one had noticed before crying along with him. Fallen raindrops trickled down Kimiko's pale cheeks from the corners of her eyes as if she were tearing as well, mixing with her blood.

_You can't do this..._

He closed his eyes, allowing the tears to cascade down his cheeks as he brought his lips to her forehead. I felt cold, voided of the unusual warmth that only the dragon of fire could radiate. Memories returned to him in flashes, his mind instinctively rejecting the very idea of her death. Raimundo felt his already broken heart shattering; the pain even worse than any form of physical pain and wished for all of this to be nothing more than just a nightmare; that he would soon be woken up by Dojo banging his gong. However, try as he may, he wasn't escaping reality.

Raimundo felt the presence of the rest of his teammates, but didn't bother to acknowledge them; in fact, he was afraid. He was afraid that she was about to leave, the same way Carlos did; turning into ashes and leaving nothing of her behind. If he had it his way, he'd hold her like this for the rest of eternity.

His sobs were heartbreaking, only becoming worse as he surveyed her lifeless form. She looked to be sleeping, her face calm and somewhat peaceful now that the blood had been washed away. Raimundo brushed his thumb over her pale cheeks before and in the presence of his teammates, pressed his quivering lips to hers.

And to prove that she was gone, for the first time ever, Kimiko didn't respond.

_I love you…_

* * *

_Kimiko…_

The echoes of a familiar voice caused her to stir as she slowly sat herself up, opening her eyes only to meet nothing but a sea of darkness before her. Again, she heard the voice echoing through this strange place.

_Kimiko…_

"Raimundo?" It was her name; he was calling her. "Raimundo, where are you?"

She looked around, turning on the soles of her feet in an attempt to locate the source of that voice, but as she did, something caught her eye; a white mist heading toward her. She stumbled backwards, right foot tripping over her left as she fell to the ground, watching as the mist built up and twisted before her, morphing into a familiar bald figure.

"G-Grand Master Dashi?" She gasped, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as she did.

"I had hoped that I wouldn't find you here."

"Here?" Kimiko's facial featured contorted in confusion as she rose from the ground, surveying the area. "Where is this place?"

"It is the crossroads between life and death." was the master's simple reply.

"Does that mean that I'm...you know… _dead_?"

"No you're not," he said, although the frown on his face didn't let up in the least. "Not yet."

She eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

He made a simple gesture with his right hand and cloud of mist formed, spiralling before them, turning into a screen resembling that of a mirror. Images started to form as a scene played before her and all the confusion just seemed to melt away.

_No… She's still in there somewhere, she has to be_ .

He was crying, tears cascading freely down his cheeks as he held on tightly to her limp body. The rain fell mercilessly upon them and as if she were standing in that very scene with them, Kimiko felt droplets of moisture running down her cheeks as well. A hand instinctively went up to wipe the tears as she tried to suppress the sudden surge of emotions.

_Why won't you move? Say something!_  
_Please please please..._

"It's a shame really… It wasn't your time yet."

_You can't do this..._

It was as if she could feel his warm lips against her forehead.

"I never wanted for this to happen." Kimiko said in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, turning to face him with a tear-stained face. "Grand Master Dashi please, I have to go back. I can't die yet…"

"Your life force has ended, young dragon of fire. There is nothing I can do." He replied. "Only Raimundo can save you now."

"I don't understand…"

It was at that moment where Raimundo's body started to glow a bright yellow; a glow that the rest of their comrades could not seem to see. Kimiko turned her attention back towards the mirror like screen, only to see Raimundo resting his lips over her own, the yellow glow around him slowly growing faint as a slight blue glow started to form around her body. "What's going on?"

"Both your life-force and his are compatible due to the affinity for the element of lightning that the two of you share." Dashi explained, "To put it simply, the dragon of the wind is transferring some of his life-force to you."

She was speechless. For her, he was willing to give up part of his life-force. "Raimundo…"

Kimiko turned her full attention to the dragon of the wind, watching as the tears streamed down his face.

_I love you…_

"I… I love you too, Rai…"

With that, she found her body slowly starting to fade, turning more transparent by the second and she gave the grand master one last glancing look as she did.

She was going back.

"I'd give you a few words of advice, but there isn't any point since you won't be able to remember any of it when you get back." Dashi said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Kimiko found her eyes widening at that sentence. "You mean… I won't remember any of this?"

It was then she heard a familiar voice; one that she hadn't heard in several months, not since he died.

"Of course not," there he was, standing only about three meters away, his ruby eyes standing out in the dark as his jet black hair blended in with the darkness around him, lips curved into a smile. "Can't have you knowing about the dead while you're still in the living now can we?"

It can't be…

She opened her mouth to call his name, or at least acknowledge his presence, but before she had the chance to, her own existence at the crossroads disappeared, leaving behind not a trace of her and the next thing she knew, she was reopening her eyes, feeling a pair of lips pressed to hers. His face was only inches away from her own, eyes closed, and instantly, she knew who it was.

Her arms quickly snaked around his neck as she returned the kiss, watching in amusement as his eyes snapped wide open, revealing his forest green orbs which reflected nothing but absolute surprise and by reflex, he pulled away to make sure of what was going on. Raimundo's hands were on both her cheeks on either side as he stared into her smiling face.

"You're alive…" he breathed, his eyes still wide open even after several seconds of starring and before Kimiko had the chance to reply, she was drawn into a tight embrace. "You're alive!"

"Rai," she barely managed out, still struggling to breathe. "You're crushing me! I won't be alive for much longer if you don't let go!"

But as soon as she was released from that embrace, Kimiko was enveloped in a series of hugs that were one tighter than the other, one or two too tight for her liking, but nevertheless, she was glad to be alive. Kimiko might not have known for sure what caused her to awaken, but one thing she knew:

If anything, she woke up because of him, Raimundo Pedrosa.

* * *

_The next couple of weeks were spent searching for the whereabouts of the only remaining heylin lord who was involved in that incident, but even with the multiple search parties, he was never found. It was like he just disappeared… But Master Fung was right on one thing:_

_There has to be a balance of both good and evil and that there will always be evil out there seeking to rule the world. There is no destroying it, which is why we continue to fight._

Already, almost two years had passed since that incident, yet all the sacrifices that were made stayed clear in his mind. He knew, that despite being inactive for so long, Chase was still somewhere out there waiting for his chance to strike. Two years was quite a long time; long enough for a heylin lord to plot a scheme so evil that an incident such as before could potentially arise once again and as the Shoku warrior, he feared for the safety of his comrades. It was times like this where he truly questioned his reason for fighting.

From where he sat atop the roof, Raimundo turned his attention from the white clouds which were slowly drifting by to the three people in the meditation garden who had yet to notice his presence. The red-haired was kneeling on the ground with open arms about two to three feet away from the stumbling one-year-old who was making his way towards her with tiny and uneven footsteps, a woman with long raven hair knelt beside the little boy, urging him forward. At eighteen months, he was still rather unsteady on his feet but walking on his own nevertheless. His black mop of hair and facial features resembling that of his father; so much to the point where it brought memories back from time to time, his ruby red eyes sparkling with each step he took.

As the little boy stumbled into his mother's arms, Anya lifted her son off the ground, twirling him in the air as Kimiko applauded, the bright smiles evident on their faces and Raimundo found his lips curving at the sides as well. His attention was mostly on the dragon of fire, whose hair was twisted into a loose braid, eyes sparkling as she watched both mother and son. Only after her gaze had met his did he realise that he was starring. But instead of receiving the puzzled look that he was expecting, her smile only widened as she lifted a hand to wave.

His attention shifted from her to the ring glistening under the warm rays of the morning sun and back to her sweet smile. It was that very same smile which reminded him of his reason to carry on fighting:

To safeguard the people you love and to protect the smile on their faces.

That was what he was fighting for.

Raimundo pushed himself off the edge of the roof, cushioning his landing with the wind. What would have taken more than a minute to accomplish for ordinary people, took him less than three seconds, standing before the woman of his dreams only to see her gaze fixed onto the wedding band on his own ring finger. "So, what's on your mind, Kim?"

"Just wondering how I ended up marrying someone like you." She answered with a smile, watching the smirk forming on his lips.

He took her hand in his, planting a kiss on her forehead. He didn't need to answer; they both knew how everything just fell into place.

Fighting evil every other day, becoming a full fledged Xiaolin Dragon and marrying the girl of his dreams… He couldn't imagine having this any other way; as far as he knew, his life was perfect.

* * *

**The is officially the longest chapter I've ever written!**

**I actually didn't plan for the ending to turn out this way, but the whole idea of this chapter wouldn't stop bugging me while I was typing out my original idea, so I went for this one instead. I really have to say that I had A LOT of fun righting this story, I reallyreally did, and reading the reviews just made the whole experience THAT MUCH better:D But sadly this story has come to an end. I have several ideas for a new story that I will be working on, but because of school and all, I might not be putting it up so soon.**

**And again, thank you to you all who stayed till the final chapter of this story, I LOVE YOU GUYS:D**

**Disclaimer: Xiaolin Showdown does not belong to me. If it did, it would have already been bursting with Raikim:))**


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